


Knight

by Omoni



Series: Abovetale [30]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), F/F, F/M, Magic gone right, Multi, Protecting your love, Shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14822102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: After over a year of peace and calm with Nickname as Ambassador, her vision prior to it finally comes true - but at a price.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THIS is what Nicky's vision in "Ambassador" was warning her of.

They probably should've expected it.

And in a way, a part of her jaded, tired mind really did. She later realised that some part of her had somehow remembered Nicky's vision, but at the time, didn't even think of it.

 _But dammit,_ Basket thought with a sigh, as both her and Nicky's ears twitched, _why does it have to happen? Just... why?_

“Bassy,” Nicky whispered, moving closer to her and shivering, and Basket nodded, doing the same.

It was dark, and somewhat quiet. They'd chosen the back exit because it was closest to the car, and Olceal had already gone ahead to grab it (Basket was feeling tired and lazy). They'd barely made it a few steps, arm-in-arm and laughing at a joke Nicky had made about the movie, when they both stopped.

They'd both heard scuffling close by, and it startled them. They turned toward it, and it was then that someone finally emerged from behind a trash bin, making both women jump.

“Ambassador Nickname?” they called.

“Shit,” Basket snapped out, before she grabbed Nicky, shoved her behind herself, and held out her hand. Immediately, a bright green shield shimmered to life, and Basket reached up and grabbed it, holding it by its makeshift handle.

When two shots hit it and sent Basket back a few steps, Nickname clung to her and held tight, in full panic mode, now, everything white noise and confusion and fear...

…and sudden recognition...

“Piss off!” Basket snarled, her other hand going up to recast the shield, something she felt deep in her blood; clearly, those two hits had damaged it rather badly.

“Lower that!” the other person answered. “You're only prolonging the inevitable!”

Nickname stared at them over Basket's shoulder, shocked.

Frisk had been right: this was the legacy she'd left for Nickname.

_But then again..._

Basket tensed, just as a flash of bright magenta magic sliced forward and struck the gunperson's arm, hard. They yelped, dropping the gun.

Olceal lunged out from behind them and grabbed it, picking it up and holding it right at their attacker, instead, one finger on the trigger.

They held up their hands – then broke into a run.

Olceal shouted, firing a shot that missed, but by the time he'd thought of chasing them, they were long gone.

“I didn't mean to do that!” he yelped, dropping the gun like it had burnt him. “Holy shit, I didn't!”

Basket lowered the shield and turned to Nickname, grabbing hold of her and checking her over. Nicky didn't move, her eyes on Basket's and full of tears.

When Basket stood back up and sighed with relief, Nickname lunged forward and hugged onto her, shuddering.

“You're okay,” Basket whispered, holding her close. “You're okay. They didn't hit you. You're safe.”

That wasn't why Nickname was shaking and crying.

It was because Basket hadn't hesitated to jump in front of her when that gun fired.

And Nicky remembered her vision from last year.

The vision that had just come true.

None of them knew just how good Basket's shields actually were, since she'd never truly used them in combat, before. They knew they were strong, but no one was willing to test them to the limit, lest they hurt her.

Basket knew all of that.

And she'd _still_ shoved Nickname behind her, thrown the shield up, and taken those shots. All without knowing if it would work or not.

 _“Bassy,”_ Olceal gasped out, coming to the same conclusion as Nickname. He staggered over and looked her over, before taking hold of her face and kissing her, his other hand going to Nicky's cheek; she felt his fingers tremble.

His eyes were on Basket's hair. When Nicky followed his gaze, she felt a jolt of fear, her eyes as wide as Olceal's, now.

“I’m fine,” Basket croaked out, though she started feeling weird. She felt strangely dizzy, despite feeling elated that she'd been right about her magic. “I'm... f-fine...”

She swayed, then, her hand going to her chest, before she dropped out of Nickname's arms and fell to the ground, all in silence – and before either of them could catch her.

“Bassy!” Nickname cried out, kneeling down to her and touching her cheek, tapping it lightly; it was pale. _“Bassy!”_

She looked up at Olceal through her tears. “What's wrong, the shield worked?! It _worked_ , Olly, it worked!”

Olceal now his phone to his ear, his eyes wide and glassy with terror, focused solely on his first wife. “Y-yes, I-I... I and my-my w-wives... we were... sh-shot at... We need help...!”

He paused, his teeth clicking together a few times, his hand seeking out one of Basket's and holding it tight. He needed it to feel strong. “I-I-I don't know if some-someone--my-my wife... She's not m-moving...”

He stopped talking, then, his eyes looking flat with panic. He mouthed words, unable to say them, his eyes still on Basket's face.

He couldn't hear; he could barely _see_...

Nickname grabbed the phone quickly, realising that Olceal was going into shock. She swallowed her own panic hard, her eyes glinting, before she told the dispatcher everything that had happened, who she was, and where they were.

“Okay, I’ll check.” Nicky set the phone down for a moment and leaned closer to Basket, moving her hands carefully over her, her fingers lingering on Basket's hair for a moment.

However, when her hands strayed to Basket's sides, her wife stirred, then mumbled, “N-not here, Nicks... H-home..."

“Bassy?” Nicky cried, lighting up and moving closer, pressing her forehead to Basket's for a moment. Beside her, she felt Olceal hug onto her tight, trembling.

“Mm,” Basket muttered, nodding. “S'fine... S’fine, j-just... Too much, too f-fast...” She kept her eyes closed, though, and she was sweating, her hands shaking and held to her chest. “I'm f-fine... I-I _knew_ I c-could...”

Nicky shifted to grab the phone and tell the dispatcher, and Olceal moved down and took her place, grabbing Basket's face between his hands, bursting into tears.

“G-good... a-aim…” Basket whispered, touching his forearm, and he choked and sobbed harder. Even now, Basket tried to make him laugh, and it both broke and healed his heart.

“They're on their way,” Nicky told them gently. “It shouldn't be too long...”

She was right. A mere ten minutes after she said that, they were surrounded by paramedics, and for that blurred moment, Nicky allowed it to distract her away from what had just happened.

Her vision had finally come true.

But it was Basket who'd remembered it, first.

* * *

Basket dozed during the ambulance ride to the hospital. It confused her spouses, but it also made them feel better, too. She needed it.

They understood what she'd meant, now: too much magic at once. Basket was no warrior, and very rarely ever used her magic. It was only lately, in the year that Nicky was named Ambassador, that she became serious about her magic.

She wanted to make sure that, if and when the time came, Nickname _would_ survive.

But in doing what she'd done tonight, she'd burnt herself out. She'd clearly used every bit of power she had within herself to keep that shield as strong and as large as it had been - and for that long.

It _had_ worked, but Basket was shorted out. Hence the sleeping the moment she was horizontal. They had yet to know the extent of it, but they were still scared, regardless.

“Fuck...” Olceal whispered, reaching over and grabbing Nicky's other hand. “Oh _fuck_ , Nicky, I _shot_ at someone...”

Nicky nodded, her eyebrows going up. “Yes. What _was_ that about?”

Olceal shook his head. “I panicked. All I could think was, ‘What the hell would Dad say to do?' And immediately I knew: ‘ _Shoot, ‘im, Lee!_ '” He inhaled shakily. “So I did.”

“Oh, Olly,” Nicky whispered, rubbing his hand. “It's okay. It's okay. You were doing it in self-defence. You thought Bassy had been...”

She trailed off, her eyes lowering, and Olceal nodded.

Nothing else needed to be said.


	2. Chapter 2

Basket dreamt of knights.

The medieval kind, when their history was still - supposedly, most agreed it wasn't true – shared with the humans.

She dreamt she was one, guarding Nicky, who was dressed as a Queen, with Olceal as King beside her.

She kind of liked it. She liked the idea of being her spouses' bodyguard, while they protected everyone else. It was probably what would've happened, had they lived in those ancient times...

She liked that, too.

When Basket woke up, she was mildly disappointed, but not for long; soon, her vision was filled with a beloved face.

“Ah, my Queen,” she whispered, taking hold of Nickname's face and lowering it down to her own, kissing her lips gently.

“She'll be fine,” she hard Olceal snort, and she smiled, too, freeing Nicky with a small giggle.

Nickname, however, leaned closer, her hands going to Basket's front and grabbing hold of her – she saw now – hospital gown, pulling on it hard. Her eyes were closed, her teeth gritted.

“Never do that again,” she hissed out between her teeth, her hands shaking. Her eyes opened, and when they met Basket's, they flashed bright red. “ _Never_ , Basket.”

“S-sorry,” Basket stammered, her eyes wide. “I-I can't promise that...”

Nicky hunched over, her head going to Basket's shoulder, before she hugged Basket as tight as possible. Basket smiled and hugged her back, nuzzling her gently.

“She _does_ seem fine,” the on-call doctor agreed with a sigh. “And I always thought Tollona exaggerated when she talked about this family and PDA...”

Olceal laughed shakily. “Nope,” he agreed. “C-can you call her? A-and my mothers-in-law?”

When the doctor agreed and left, Olceal's smile vanished, and he turned to Basket, grabbing onto her hand – one she held out for him - hard.

“I’m fine, love...” she whispered, sounding so tired. She was; she just woke up to be looked over by the doctor, and already she felt exhausted. She knew it was the medicine they had her hooked up to – she could taste it – and it bothered her.

She wanted more time with her dearest loves...

Her King and Queen...

“You're _not_ fine,” Olceal answered, closing his eyes. “You burnt out.”

“I'll get better,” she promised, swallowing hard. “I'll get stronger, I swear.”

“No, Bassy, that's not what we're upset about...” Nicky whispered, stroking Basket's hair, slowly, her face resting against Basket's shoulder.

“Why...?” Basket's eyes closed for – what she thought – a moment; instead, they remained closed. “Why... upset? We're... safe... I rem-remem-remembered...”

“Yes, Bassy, but you almost...!” Olceal began to protest, only to stop. He sighed; Basket was asleep, again. “Fucking morphine!”

Nicky closed her eyes, her hand not pausing in Basket's hair. She bit her lip.

“Olly...” she whispered. “Bassy could've...”

Olceal sat down beside her and wrapped around her, and together, they watched Basket sleep in silence, unable to hold back their tears.

* * *

“I’m fucking _fine_ , Mom.”

“Don't fucking cuss at me, you _brat!”_

“I am fine, _Mother.”_

“Stop,” Alphys broke in, glaring at her eldest daughter and her wife. “Both of you, stop.”

She hadn't let go of Basket since they got there, waking her up specifically to do so.

It made Basket cranky. She was still beat.

Alphys was stroking her hair, hair she hadn't seen yet – and hopefully only would once she was better. Alphys was shaking, and Basket could feel it.

Undyne, on her other side, kept lightly tapping her knee, as if to smack her for breaking a rule, when she never truly would. She was trying not to cry – and failing. Miserably.

Nicky and Olceal were with Dandelion, who was cranky and miserable at this hour, especially knowing that Basket was fine; the sisters shared that trait in common.

“Idiot,” Undyne then sobbed out, her nails digging into Basket's back.

But in that word, Basket heard it: a note of pride.

Undyne _was_ proud of her for defending Nickname like she had. Hell, she'd done it herself many times. It wasn't Basket she was angry with.

“He got away,” Basket then muttered, as if hearing her thoughts. “It was a man. Human, I think. Probably. It _was_ a gun, after all.”

Both of her parents shuddered and held her closer, and she sighed. “Please, don't tell Auntie Frisk. She doesn't need this right now.”

“Peridot, she already knows,” Undyne answered softly. “I’m sorry. It was on the news. She's on her way, with Asriel.”

“Ah, fuck,” Basket growled, rubbing her eyes. “I’m fine, and so are Nicky and Olly. Can I go home now--?”

 _“No!”_ both Undyne and Alphys said at once, startling her into jumping.

“Why?”

“B-because, Bass, they need to make sure you're safe,” Alphys replied. “You... used up too much magic.”

“I know,” Basket sighed. “I swear, I'll get better, I promise. I know it was weak, but it was all I had, and--,”

“No one is talking about _that,”_ Undyne broke in sharply. “We're not scared because of that.”

That, however, was a lie, but it was one Basket didn't catch.

“Why, then?”

“Because Nicky got shot at,” Alphys murmured. “After a year of quiet.”

Basket felt her stomach clench with fear. “Oh, fuck,” she whispered. “Nicky... H-her vision...”

Alphys nodded slowly, her eyes wavering.

“You did really good, Peridot,” Undyne broke in. “You did. And... and we might need to depend on that...”

Basket bit her lip. Undyne didn't need to say another word.

She understood. And she accepted it.

She _would_ be that Knight.

* * *

“White.”

Undyne nodded, her fingertips lingering on the patches of white in Basket's hair, as she slept, again.

“She used her lifeforce,” Alphys concluded.

Undyne closed her eye, then nodded again.

“Nicky told me she put her hand to her chest before and after she blacked out.” Alphys's voice was small and flat, her eyes fixed on the TV above them, her face blank. She held one of Basket's hands, her fingers tracing her daughter's, but she looked... empty. “She definitely used her soul.”

“Goddammit,” Undyne whispered. “How did she fucking know how?”

“We all know how,” Alphys answered. “We just never know how until we need it.” She hesitated, then added, “Plus... Nickname's vision. It told her she could...”

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered weakly, her eye now on her wife. “I gotta teach her better.”

Alphys was the one who nodded this time. “Yes,” she agreed.

“Alphy.”

“Yes?”

“Come back...?”

Alphys blinked, the words confusing her – and suddenly she really was back, that blanket of smothering emptiness lifting alongside Undyne's words. She lowered her head, one hand reaching out, and Undyne grabbed it tight.

“S-sorry,” she whispered. “I-I'm scared, too.”

Undyne threaded their fingers together tight, and as one, they looked back up at the TV, desperate for distraction.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, Bassy _is_ fine, right? Mom and Mum _weren't_ lying?”

Dandelion said this to Olceal, her sharp eyes narrowed behind her glasses, despite her sleepiness.

They were in one of the open areas of the hospital, where the gift shops and restaurants were, sitting at one of the tables as they all sipped a drink of choice and shared a bag of chips.

Dandelion was hunched over the table, her chin on her arm, one hand out and picking at her chips dejectedly. But her eyes were bright, and she clearly expected an answer.

“Yes,” Olceal answered, not breaking their gaze nor blinking. It was, after all, the truth.

Dandy always expected him to be honest with her, because he was one of the few people who always was, and she cherished him for that. Therefore, she also depended on him for the truth, especially with situations like this.

Dandy's eyes softened, then, and she smiled faintly. “Thank you,” she whispered, actually looking her age when she smiled. Any other time, she looked older, and it was saddening at times; Dandelion was already so old, mentally.

Nicky leaned over and wrapped her arm around Dandelion, kissing her forehead, and Dandy closed her eyes and cuddled into her side – then began to cry softly. She'd been holding it in for hours, and couldn't, anymore, now that she was certain her sister was safe.

Nicky held her and looked at Olceal, who shifted closer to Dandy's other side and hugged onto them both. Dandelion grabbed his arm hard, and he smiled and kissed her forehead, too.

“I _hate_ this,” Dandy sobbed out angrily.

“We do, too,” Nicky agreed softly.

“It sucks,” Olceal agreed.

_“Nickname Dreemurr!!”_

Nicky jumped in shock, then turned around and found her mother storming over to her, clearly enraged. Behind her, Asriel struggled to keep up, trying to pull her back and calm her down, but she kept shaking him off.

Nicky handed Dandelion to Olceal before she stood up and turned to face her mother, her stomach clenched with dread and frustration.

It was obvious, judgeing not only by Frisk's greeting, but by the way Asriel looked guiltily at Nicky, that Frisk now knew about the vision they'd kept from her for a year.

Nicky lowered her head, feeling tiny before her mother's rage, despite the fact that her mother was the tiny one; Nicky was almost as tall as her father.

For a moment, Nicky wondered if Frisk was going to strike her. She looked angry enough, though she never had before, and she stopped in front of Nicky, her hands clenched at her sides and shaking. She glared up at her daughter, and Nicky looked back regretfully.

 _“Why?”_ Frisk demanded of her.

“You had enough to deal with, Mami!” Nicky cried, suddenly. She couldn't help it; she was so tried, so worn out, so scared... And now she was being yelled at.

She couldn't deal with it calmly, anymore. It was too much.

Even _Nickname_ had her limits...

Frisk opened her mouth, then closed it, her eyes suddenly softening – and filling with tears. It shocked Nicky yet again, but before she could say anything, Frisk had grabbed onto her and hugged her.

 _”Menipu!”_ Frisk sobbed, her voice breaking. “You could've been killed!”

“I wasn't, Mami,” Nicky answered softly, hugging Frisk back and closing her eyes. “Because of Bassy and Olly. Like I said from the start.”

Frisk sobbed, wordlessly, and just held her daughter to her, shivering with terror. She wasn't truly angry with her, not exactly, because she knew Nicky was right. Rather, she was hurt, because she was the only one who'd had no warning, and she wished she had.

Asriel soon hugged them both, and they held him in return, speechless. All three of them cried to some degree, and all three found words useless and impossible.

Then, Frisk whispered, “How is she?”

Nicky bit her lip, shivering, her eyes closing for a moment. “Mami, her hair turned white.”

Frisk didn't understand, but Asriel did. He pulled away to round on Nicky, grabbing her shoulders and holding them hard.

"Is she okay?” he demanded. “Is she _alive_?!”

Nickname stared at him, as did Olceal, Dandy, and Frisk.

“Yes, Papi,” Nicky then whispered. “She used up too much of her magic, though. That's why her hair is white...” When Asriel's eyes grew fearful, she felt a jab. “Isn't it?”

“Yeah, but also no,” Asriel stammered. “She's alive? She's okay?”

“Sleeping, but okay,” Olceal agreed, his eyes wide. Beside him, Dandelion was pale with fear of her own.

“Where's Alphys?”

Nicky told him, and he nodded, pulled away – and ran down the hallway, leaving Frisk behind. They stared after him in shared shock, even after he'd disappeared around the corner.

“Mami... What just happened?” Nicky wondered, grabbing her mother’s hand.

“I have no idea, but I’m going to find out,” was Frisk's reply.


	4. Chapter 4

“Alphys!”

The doctor in question jumped in surprise, as did Undyne, who'd been cuddling into her side and weeping softly. Both looked shocked by the interruption.

“A-As-Asriel,” Alphys stammered, her hand going up to her eyes – and brushing away her own tears.

That terrified Asriel, and he lunged forward, grabbing Undyne’s shoulder and looking over it. When he saw that Basket really was just sleeping, he leaned back, and when Undyne growled, he let go of her shoulder, swallowing hard.

“I just..” he stammered. “Nicky told me, Bass’s hair, and--,”

“Dude, chill the fuck out, Goat-Boy,” Undyne snapped, her eye narrowed and blazing. “And shut the fuck up, too. She needs her sleep, moron!”

Asriel winced, nodding and biting his lips closed. For some reason, that calmed Undyne, and she took his hand, her touch gentle. “She's okay. Thank you, Asriel.”

He nodded again, closing his eyes and squeezing her hand. “The others, they don't know,” he whispered. “They don't know why it's bad. Not even Frisk.”

“Of course not,” Alphys sighed. “Because it's not something that should ever be done.” She rubbed her nose a little, sniffling. “But then, Basket never has it easy, does she...?”

“Fuck,” Undyne whispered, and to Asriel's surprise, she squeezed his hand, again. “Fucking _fuck.”_

“Very eloquent, my love,” Alphys replied, smiling faintly, and Undyne returned it, blushing shyly.

“We gotta tell all of them,” Undyne then said, her smile vanishing. “Explain why we're freaked out.” She sighed. “I can't believe not even Dad or Toriel told them...”

“Why would they want to teach our children something that would _kill_ them?!” Alphys answered sharply.

Undyne paled, but nodded, and finally let go of Asriel's hand.

“ _She_ thinks it was because she was too _weak_ ,” Undyne muttered, her eye now on Basket. “And that she's not good at magic. Nevermind that bullets are almost _impossible_ to block with fucking magic...”

The door suddenly opened again, and Frisk walked in, her eyes narrowed and blazing. She glared at Asriel in silence, doing the same to Alphys and Undyne—

\--before she froze, seeing their expressions. Then, she paled, and looked between them, unable to speak.

Asriel went to her side and sat her down on his lap (there was only one chair left in the room), and quietly, Alphys explained what had happened, and what it meant.

“Using the soul is something we all know how to do, but don't always get taught,” Alphys admitted. “Because if we do it, and use it all up, we die.” She sighed. “Boss Monsters could use it and survive, because of how powerful their souls are, but even a monster with inherited DT is no match for a Boss Monster...”

Asriel bit his lip, nodding slowly. It was true. It was why he'd been taught at all: because he was a Boss Monster, and could survive it.

Frisk nodded. Then, she looked at Undyne, who returned the gaze warily. “Are you going to tell her?” she asked.

Undyne bit her lip, angry that Frisk knew her so well to ask her that, and not Alphys. “I... don't want to,” Undyne growled, surprising everyone but Frisk. “Because...”

And here, she looked at Alphys, who was about to protest – until she saw her wife's look. She went silent, confused.

Undyne looked terrified. She kept Alphys's gaze when she added, “Because it wouldn't stop her, anyway.” Undyne's voice wavered. “Because she's too much like you, Alphy...”

Alphys stared at her, going pale with shock. She wanted to protest, to immediately correct Undyne and explain why Basket needed to know, but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't.

Because in that moment, she knew Undyne was right.

Basket had literally done what Alphys would've done – and even _had_ done – for Nickname, if it had been Undyne. There was no point in arguing it; they'd all seen the proof, and several times. Hell, Undyne saw the proof almost daily.

“S-so if we tell her...” Alphys whispered.

“…she'll probably just intentionally use it, again, anyway, if it meant saving Nicky or Olceal,” Undyne finished sadly.

“But if we don't,” Asriel broke in, “she'll use it again by accident. And probably die from it. She needs to know. She has to.”

“What makes you so sure it'll stop her?” Frisk wondered.

“Because...” Asriel sighed. “Because she wants to stay alive to protect those she loves, anyway, even if she thinks her life means less.”

And here, he looked at Alphys. “Right, Doctor?”

Alphys blushed, then looked down, biting her lip.

She'd always thought that Basket was like Undyne: strong, loud, impulsive, and armed with a razor-sharp wit. She was dismayed to know that her eldest had inherited her own low-valued viewpoint on her life.

“Why couldn't she of just been _smart_...?” Alphys moaned softly, covering her face with her hands. “Why?”

Undyne smiled. “Because she's the best of both of us, Alphy...”

Alphys didn't look up – but she started to cry softly, her heart aching. “I can't scatter my daughter,” she sobbed out. “I _can't_.”

“Then _fucking_ tell her, and you _won't_!” Asriel finally snapped, losing his temper – and volume control – at last. He was frustrated with Alphys and Undyne, because he, too, cared about his daughter-in-law, and didn't want to scatter her, either.

But he shouted too loudly, and to everyone's dismay, Basket growled and stirred awake, muttering, “I won't what...?”

“Nothing, shut up, go the fuck to sleep,” Undyne snapped, turning to her and pushing her down before she could sit up.

“Mm...” Basket answered, especially when Undyne started to stroke her hair softly, hoping it would calm her down. “But... Y-yelling...” Her eyes opened and flashed, and Undyne jumped back, shocked.

“Nicky,” Basket then said, her voice strong and fully awake, now. “Is she safe?”

“Yes,” Alphys replied gently, stopping her from sitting up, again. “We're all safe...” And here, she looked at Asriel, who nodded. “Except... y-you.”

Basket blinked. “I'm fine!” she protested.

But Alphys was already fussing with her phone, her eyes watery. She then gave it to Basket, who looked at it – and froze, her eyes huge and her hand going to her hair. When the image in the phone copied her, she felt a lump in her throat.

“What the fuck is _this_?!” Basket cried, tugging at some of her hair. “Why do I look like I had a fight with bleach?!”

Undyne sighed, this time, closing her eye. When Alphys was silent, Undyne told Basket everything. By the end, both of Undyne's hands were occupied: one by her wife, and one by her eldest.

“I-I-I...” Basket stammered, her face pale. “I d-didn't m-mean to... It was... I-it was...”

“We know,” Alphys reassured her. “We do.” She paused. “I know.”

Basket frowned more. “You do?”

“Hey, uh...” Undyne looked over at Asriel and Frisk. “Can we have some...? And you can tell the others...?”

Frisk nodded, sliding off of Asriel's lap, and Asriel blushed and took her offered hand. Together, they walked out, closing the door behind them.

“Do you remember the story I told you, about what happened when you were a baby?” Alphys then asked, her other hand taking her phone back, then replacing it with her hand in Basket's.

Basket nodded, confused. “Y-yeah... They were gonna kill Mom, instead of you and me.”

“But I didn't let them,” Alphys agreed, her voice soft. “I let them shoot me, instead, if it meant you and your mom were safe."

 _“Twice,”_ Undyne broke in. They looked at her, and found her pale and shaking. “Twice, Alphys. For Bassy, then Dandy.”

Alphys winced; she had actually omitted that to spare anyone else memories of that.

“Mummy,” Basket whispered, her grip on Alphys's hand tight. “Did you... use your lifeforce, too?”

Alphys swallowed hard. “Yes,” she agreed weakly. “I used it to stay alive for as long as I could. The first time, it worked. The second... f-failed.”

Undyne lowered her head, her hair covering her face. She didn't move, didn’t speak, but she also didn't need to. They knew.

“And that's what _you_ could have done, Bassy,” Alphys added, her voice now stern. “You could have easily died. Not because you _wanted_ to, but because you didn't know your limits – and thus made sure you went there without control.”

Basket stared at her. “I don't wanna die,” she blurted out, her eyes filling. “I don't!”

But at the same time, she also didn't regret it. She regretted the aftermath and the annoying bits, but saving Nicky, despite how she did it, she did not regret.

And Alphys could see it, plain as day, and she answered in kind, her claws digging into Basket's palm.

“Then you need to _listen_ to me, Basket,” Alphys answered, her voice low and sharp. _“Never do that again.”_

“But, Mum, Nicks--,”

“Yes,” Alphys agreed, before Undyne could answer with a snarl. “She needed you. But she needs you _alive_. You had no way of knowing you would survive.”

“For _fuck's_ sake, Peridot, learn from my mistakes!” Undyne exploded, reaching over and grabbing Basket's face hard, scaring her into silence. “Don't just fucking _stand_ _there_ and _take_ it! Drop down with her out of range! Please, Basket! _Please, my baby!!”_

And to Basket's horror, Undyne burst into tears, grabbing onto her eldest and holding her tight, her hand at the back of her head and her nails digging into her scalp a little, the other hand at her back.

Basket swallowed hard, then reached up and hugged her back, closing her eyes. “Mommy,” she whispered, “I'm okay.”

“By pure fucking dumb luck,” Undyne spat.

Alphys didn't say anything, but she very much agreed.

Basket sighed, that last word hitting her hard. She knew how bad her luck was, and knew how incredible it had been that it was on her side.

Her parents were right.

“I'm sorry,” Basket croaked out, before she clung to Undyne and broke into sobs of her own, burying her face into Undyne's trembling shoulder. “I'm sorry!!”

Alphys leaned over and hugged them both, whispering to both of them that it would be okay.

They both nodded, but only Basket believed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Nickname was crying by the time Asriel was done, trembling so hard that she could barely stay sitting. She shook her head slowly, but it was merely in hopes of being wrong, despite knowing the truth. The truth made her cry.

Olceal was, too, but he hid his face in his arms, which were folded onto the table. He trembled, sniffling, but said nothing.

Dandelion, however, was nodding, looking frightened, but also determined. She understood, both what had happened and why, and while her eyes weren't dry, she did not sob or break down.

Instead, she inwardly vowed to never let her older sister do that, again, no matter what it took.

Aloud, she said. “Can I see her, now?”

Frisk and Asriel blinked; they hadn't realised that Dandy – other than Papyrus and sans, who had been informed but would visit once Bass was home – was the only one who had yet to see Basket. Frisk nodded, and once Dandelion was on her feet, she followed her aunt to her sister and parents.

The other three watched in silence, until they'd vanished around the corner.

Then, Asriel said, “That one is too fucking smart.”

Olceal made a sound, then, and it made Nicky turn to him in surprise; it was a snort of laughter. He raised his head and met his father's. (He really _did_ think of Asriel as his father, now, an honour Asriel still felt shy about - but really loved - and he tried to live up to it.)

“Yep,” he agreed weakly, a small smile on his grief-stricken face. “She's gonna take over the world.”

“Good,” Asriel agreed, reaching over and giving Olceal's hand a squeeze – one he squeezed back gratefully. It was what Asgore would've done for Asriel, after all. “Let's hope so.”

“Papi,” Nicky murmured. Their eyes met, mirrors once more, and his hand went to her cheek, now, instead. “Papi, I don't want to lose her. I... I just barely _got_ her... I… I should fire her...”

“No!” both her father and husband cried at once, startling her.

“No, Nicks,” Olceal added, his eyes wide and sparking with fear. “If anything, you'll just make it worse. You know how stubborn she is.”

Asriel laughed shortly. “She's Alphys,” he replied. “Even Alphys noticed. And we all know what _Alphys_ is like...”

They nodded slowly.

There was a small silence that followed, until Asriel offered to get them fresh coffee. They agreed, and by the time Frisk was back, so was Asriel – with a coffee for her, too.

* * *

“Hey!” Dandelion shouted as her greeting, making her family jump in surprise – then either laugh, smile, or call her over.

She did, immediately crashing into her sister and hugging onto her as hard as she could, so hard that Basket make choking noises, then cried, “Gah, you're murdering me!”

“Good!” Dandy answered, but she loosened her hold a bit, and Basket then hugged her back.

“Sorry, _imouto_ ,” Basket whispered.

“Good,” Dandelion repeated, but her tone was softer. She gave Basket a final squeeze, then let go, grabbing the third chair and pulling it over to sit on.

“So, when do we leave?” she wondered, looking between all three of them.

“We're going home, soon,” Undyne said gently. “But Bassy needs to stay overnight.”

Dandelion glared at Basket. “See what happens when you're _stupid_ , Bass?” she growled.

Basket, instead of snapping back like expected, merely laid back and closed her eyes, looking away. “I know...” she answered, her voice tiny.

Dandelion blinked, feeling her anger die immediately at that, though why that and not the apology, she didn't know.

“Okay,” she answered, her tone gentle, now. “I'm happy you're okay.”

“Me, too,” Basket replied, chuckling softly. “Me, too.”

* * *

Basket was awake most of the night.

Most of it wasn't her fault; she shared a room with two other patients, and one had the TV on as loud as possible, while the other snored through it.

But much of it was also deep thought. Her hand would sometimes go up and touch her hair, feeling that the white parts felt almost stiff, like it had too much gel in it. She didn't like it, and hoped it would be gone by tomorrow (despite Alphys telling her it would take weeks).

She also kept concentrating on her magic. She'd lucked out, as though her two suitemates were annoying, they were also human, and thus couldn't sense her doing so. She played with it, waving her hands in front of her face and leaving trails of sparks that glittered in the dark, like emeralds. She used as little as possible, but even then, she still felt a slight tug on her magical capacity, and it made her angry.

So she kept doing it. And soon she felt herself comforted by it. It kept her hands from her hair, and her thoughts as empty as possible.

But she stopped whenever a nurse came in to check on her, and she said very little when the nurse asked how she was and why she was awake: “I dunno,” was her only answer.

The third time the nurse walked in, however, he not only caught her playing with her magic, but was also carrying a small IV bag. He stopped, and when her hands dropped, he scowled at her.

“No wonder you're awake,” he sighed.

“I don't want that,” she answered sharply, even as he walked over and started prepping it.

“Doctor's orders,” he replied. “Your mother's.”

Basket opened her mouth to snarl, but those last two words shut her up, and instead made her feel dreadfully homesick.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice small, now.

“Clonazepam,” he replied. “A gentle benzo.”

“Oh,” she mumbled. "'Kay.'"

She'd had that before, and the memory made her shudder; they'd given that to her when Alphys had tried to kill herself.

Funny, that it was Alphys who'd ordered it. Basket wondered if her mother understood the irony.

When it was dripping, the nurse checked her vitals, this time trying to cheer her up, but by the end, she was feeling the drug, and he patted her shoulder and left her to rest.

She closed her eyes, feeling weak and stupid, now. She pictured her spouses, pretending they were with her and holding her in their arms, and she dropped into sleep.

* * *

Olceal held Nickname as she sobbed into his chest, clinging onto him so hard that her claws broke a bit of skin under his fur, but he didn't care; it was likely he was doing the same, trapped in his own sobs.

“Why did she do it...?” Nicky sometimes demanded of him, one of her hands lightly tapping his back.

Every time, he whispered, “Because she loves you,” and she broke down, again.

They, too, were up for most of the night, trapped in a nest of anguish, of just how much they could've lost in a single moment.


	6. Chapter 6

When they arrived in the morning to pick her up, however, there we no signs of the pain they'd shared on their faces. It simply vanished when, once they woke her up, Basket looked up at them and smiled, her arms reaching up toward them.

They embraced, and refused to let go for quite some time, only letting go when the nurse snapped at them to move, so that he could check their wife's vitals.

They did, but stayed close, and Basket's eyes, a little dark from medication but still lit from within, remained on them, sometimes brimming with tears she always blinked back.

When they were alone, Basket sat up and smiled at them, leaning over and kissing one, then the other, before reaching up and placing a hand on Nicky's and Olceal's cheeks.

“Hi,” she whispered. “You okay?” She asked, because she wasn't sure. Their eyes showed darkness, too, and it worried her. She knew them well, and knew they slept little.

“ _Now_ we are,” Olceal replied, nuzzling her hand and closing his eyes.

“When do we get to take you home?” Nicky wondered, lowering Basket's hand from her cheek and holding it between her own.

Basket made a face. “I need to finish those stupid bags,” she nodded toward her IV, “before I’m allowed. They take at least an hour, and they make me feel weird, both sleepy and hyper.”

“Ah,” Olceal said, blinking up at the IV pole. “They have you on some kind of electrolyte cocktail with a pain killer.”

“What the fuck?” Basket scowled. It annoyed her, but at least she felt a hell of a lot better than last night – that was for sure.

“We can wait,” Nicky replied kindly, smiling. “We can have breakfast, together. Want us to get you something?”

Basket was nodding before she finished, and she laughed softly, kissing the back of Basket's hand. “Okay. I know what you like. I'll get it.”

She got up and left – almost in a hurry, it seemed.

“Oh, no,” Basket whispered, her eyes welling up again. “Nicks is so upset... I-I didn't... Olly, I did-didn't--,”

Olceal leaned forward, took hold of her face, and kissed her lips. He didn't care if she hadn't even brushed her teeth. He didn't care if her lips were a little too dry. He only cared about proof, the proof he needed to know for sure that she was finally safe.

Basket knew, and she hugged him, pulling him close and returning his kiss, sniffling a little; there was no way she could blink these tears back. In between kisses, she whispered, “I'm okay,” and he nodded, but pulled her back, anyway, brushing her tears away with his thumbs.

After a moment, Basket pulled away. “I'm... also thirsty,” she admitted, sheepish, and he grabbed her some water. She drank it eagerly, and laid back when she'd drained the cup, sighing in relief. She was similar to Undyne in that regard: water rejuvenated her better than energy drinks.

Olceal moved closer and leaned down, resting his head upon her chest, and she held him close, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead.

Then, she surprised him. “Are you in trouble, Olly? Will you be charged?”

Olceal opened his eyes. “They said no,” he admitted. "Just a fine. They realised I panicked, and Nicky vouched for me.”

“Good,” Basket breathed out, closing her eyes in relief. “That was smart _and_ stupid.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling a little. He always appreciated Basket's blunt honesty. Everyone else was so quick to reassure him he'd done the right thing, but his Bass knew him best, and knew what he truly needed to hear.

“Bass,” he whispered. “I love you.”

She kissed his forehead, again. “I love you,” she replied, smiling faintly. “I'm sorry I scared you.”

Olceal closed his eyes, nodding, and she hugged him close.

When Nicky came back, they were calmer and hungry, and the rest of the hour was spent cheerfully. By the time the IV ran out and the nurse was back, it felt like only minutes had passed.

Nicky helped Basket to the bathroom to get showered and changed, once they'd taken off the IV, and Olceal talked with the doctor about needed care for Basket's health.

It took a while to go through it all, but it ended up being a good thing.

* * *

"Nicky,” Basket whispered, the moment they were alone. Nicky bit her lip, her eyes quickly darting away, but Basket grabbed her face. “Hey. Cupcake. Look at me?”

Nicky bit her lip and shut her eyes, then reached forward and hugged Basket, but in order to untie her hospital gown and slide it off of her shoulders. She pulled away and took it off – something Basket helped with – and tossed it aside, then quickly turned away to reach into the bag she'd brought, searching for a towel and soap.

Basket went over and hugged her from behind, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face into her back, closing her eyes and nuzzling her. She felt that her wife was trembling, and it made her sad.

“I’m okay, Nicks,” Basket whispered, one hand rubbing her middle gently.

Nickname lowered her head, then turned around and hugged her back, hard – so hard that Basket lost her breath for a moment.

“You _bitch_ ,” Nickname suddenly snapped out, her claws digging into Basket's bare back. “You careless, reckless _bitch_!”

Basket was hurt by this, and she loosened her hold, unable to blink back her tears. She reached up and tried to push Nicky away from her, but Nicky didn't let go; instead, she growled.

“Stop it,” she hissed. “Stop it, Basket! _Stop it!”_

Basket started to cry, confused as well as hurt, and she pushed on Nicky's shoulders harder, squirming a bit to get away. When Nicky wouldn't let her, taking full advantage of her weakened state, Basket cried harder, still trying, anyway. 

She knew she didn't deserve this. All she'd wanted was a comforting shower with her wife, not a cruel interrogation.

“L-let me go,” she begged brokenly. “Let go, g-go get Olly... _let go!”_

“No!” Nicky cried. She knew she was hurting Basket, both physically and emotionally, but she couldn't help it. She was hurting, herself. “No, Basket! _No! Stop it!”_

“I don't understand!” Basket suddenly cried out, her voice strained with tears. She sobbed, then added, “If you h-ha-hate me, now, th-then just l-leave m-me!!”

Nicky pulled away, but not to leave. Instead, she grabbed Basket's face and kissed her – and revealed that she was crying, too. Each breath she took between kisses was a sob, and she used her fingertips to brush Basket's tears away, too - and with tenderness.

Basket didn't move for several of these kisses, confused and frozen cold by it. She'd never seen Nickname this unhinged, this overtly consumed by her emotions, and she was scared.

“Please...” Basket managed to get out, and Nicky stopped. “Please...? Wh-why...?”

“I can't scatter you,” Nicky burst out, pushing Basket to the closest wall of the bathroom – the one within the shower – and grabbing hold of her. “I can't let you go. I can't live without you _. I can't_. Stop it! Stop making me have to try!” Her voice broke on that last repetition, and she kissed Basket, again.

This time, Basket understood, and she kissed back, her arms going around Nicky's waist again and pulling her close. Nicky groaned softly in relief, then did something that shocked Basket – and would for years, after.

She started to undress, quickly, tossing her clothes into the pile started by Basket's hospital gown. Basket stared into her eyes at last, as Nicky was finally able to do so, and all she could see was pain: deep, desperate pain.

And Basket leaned back against the wall, slid her underwear off, and turned the shower on. When Nicky did the same and kissed her again, this time picking her up and pressing her back up against the wall, Basket clung to her and returned those kisses.

And when they were moving together, as quickly and quietly as possible, Nicky kept whispering into Basket's ear, “Please, Basket... _please_...”

But it wasn't because she wanted to come, and they both knew it.

It ended up being a long shower, but only Olceal knew why – and made excuses for them to keep it that way.

Because he knew that, when he could, he'd probably end up just as desperate for Basket as Nicky was – and would probably react the same way, too.

* * *

The drive home was very quiet. Basket was lying down in the backseat alone, still exhausted from the morning and night before, and she fell asleep as soon as the car started.

“Sorry,” Nicky then whispered, her cheeks red. “I... I know you wanted the three of us to... but... I…”

Olceal reached over and touched her cheek briefly. “I'm not angry. I understand. But... I hope... If she's okay with it, I hope you don't mind if we do, still... or if I do. I... n-need her, too.”

Nicky placed her hand on his thigh, and kept it there for the whole trip home. It comforted him, and was exactly what he needed to keep calm as he drove.

He needed that, too.

* * *

But it turned out that, the moment Basket was back in the house, on her feet, and fully awake, she was already grabbing at Olceal – and Nicky.

“Pl-please...?" she whispered, one hand on Olceal's cheek, the other holding Nicky's tight. “I-I want... I w-want to m-make this up to you... I…” She sniffled, her eyes filling. “I didn't know... I’m s-sor-sorry...”

This was when Nicky simply moved close, took hold of her, and swept her off of her feet and into her arms. Basket went silent in shock, her eyes wide and her whole body still. Not even Olceal had known she was strong enough to do that, and he gaped at Nicky, too.

But Nicky, in a moment of mirth, smiled and raised her head proudly, then gathered Basket closer and carried her to their bedroom, her tail wagging. Olceal raced after her, and when he caught up, all three of them shared a soft laugh.

And it was that laugh that began to soothe their hearts – and ease their pain.


	7. Chapter 7

That night, it happened.

Nicky knew it wasn't her that started it, as she didn't even think of it at the time.

It was Olceal; he'd not only reached for Basket, but Nicky, as well, and when he did, they both felt it, the second their hands touched: his soul.

And when Basket whispered, “Yes,” and reached out with her own, Nicky had started to pull away – but were stopped by both of them.

“Please,” Olceal whispered, and Nicky closed her eyes and nodded, reaching out – and touching her fate.

It was the greatest night of her entire life.

* * *

In the morning, Nicky woke up, first.

It was barely dawn, but she could hear rain falling, and knew that that was what had awakened her. She stirred, her eyes opening slowly, and she sighed, smiling a little; she was trapped between her spouses and was fine with it.

Then it hit her, and she reached up and covered her mouth, just before she squeaked out. She just barely muffled it enough, and she leaned back into bed, her hands over her mouth and her eyes wide – and staring up at the ceiling.

_Oh, god, it happened. It happened!_

_We used our souls, and we damn well knew what we were doing, too!_

_They knew what they were doing!_

_I can't believe that it happened...!_

Then, her eyes filled with tears.

 _One of us is definitely pregnant,_ she realised, her whole body feeling shaky and hot. She also realised that she had no idea who, as her vision hadn't specified; just that their child was absolutely the three of theirs.

She turned to Basket slowly, not wanting to wake her, and looked into her face. The moment she did, she lowered her hands, feeling calmer the longer she looked. Basket looked ridiculous when she slept, but Nicky loved it. There was no way she couldn't love a face like that.

Not anymore.

She had to tell them, now. She realised that quite easily, and it made her feel weary. She felt nervous, as if revealing a dirty, shameful secret. But she knew she'd done the right thing, and they did have the right to know.

She closed her eyes for a moment, her mind overcome with memories of mere hours ago, and she shivered, snuggling closer to Basket, which in turn had Olceal snuggle closer to her in his sleep. She smiled again, tears coming to her eyes, her own happy rainfall.

She was nervous – but she would be honest.

She spent the rest of the morning listening to the rain, trying to think of the right way to word it. By the time Basket stirred awake, it was close to nine, and Nicky had almost worded it perfectly.

But then, when Basket's face lit up the second their eyes met, Nicky changed her mind. Instead, she leaned closer and kissed Basket's lips gently, something Basket returned sleepily – but with a soft purr.

When they broke apart, Basket whispered, “Was last night real...?”

Nicky nodded slowly, her heart starting to race. Here was her chance, but she avoided it, with the words, “Bassy, what if...? What if it _worked_? What if...?”

“What if one of us is pregnant?” Basket replied softly, and Nicky nodded, her whole body cold with fear. Basket considered, and as she did, Nicky reached up and stroked her hair, her fingers lingering on the white parts.

Basket smiled, her eyes closing and her whole body relaxing against Nicky, and she hugged onto her, sighing.

“It's probably bad timing,” Basket then breathed out, and Nicky held her breath. “Considering the fact that someone just tried to kill you, but...”

That last word had Nicky's heart racing.

“But... maybe it's a good thing, too. Because it's another branch, y'know?” Basket lifted up her hands and touched her index fingers together, before holding out a pinkie rather crookedly. “We're the latest branches. Now, it's our turn.”

She let her hands drop, and she smiled shyly. “I dunno, Nicks. But isn't it kinda exciting, anyway?”

Nicky nodded, then hugged her, burying her face into Basket's neck and closing her eyes. Basket snuggled closer, kissing her cheek.

“It's how we are,” Basket added softly. “Random and contradictory.”

Nicky laughed softly, hugging her closer, and Basket giggled, kissing her other cheek.

“Plus, maybe it'll be cool,” Basket then murmured, her eyes open and blinking with surprise. “What if...? What if we have some brat that manages to look like all three of us...?”

When she suddenly smiled at the thought, Nicky buried her face deeper into Basket's neck, making her giggle – and thus covering up her soft sob of relief and joy.

 _“Mmfffhh,”_ Olceal suddenly mumbled, probably the most exhausted out of all three of them, and for good reason. “S'wrong?”

“Nothing,” Basket replied, reaching over Nicky to touch his cheek. “Just talking about babies.”

Nicky blushed at that, but Olceal, surprisingly, did not. “Maybe I’m getting old, but...” He shrugged. “Maybe kids wouldn't be so bad...?”

Nicky turned around and hugged him, surprising both him and Basket, especially when she hid her face in his shoulder, too. Basket smiled and shrugged, and Olceal kissed the top of Nicky's head.

And Nicky grinned through her tears, her heart soaring with relief – and joy.

* * *

Unfortunately, Nickname had to be in the Chambers that morning. The conference was scheduled for noon, and she had to get there early enough to prepare her speech.

Basket and Olceal, she gave the day off, but she knew she couldn't abandon her post – even if she desperately wanted to.

She asked Asriel to help her that day, and judgeing by the amount of exclamation points he'd used when replying, he was happy to join her.

But she would learn that he had an agenda of his own.

* * *

Before they were due to go in and the session to formally start, Asriel stopped Nicky and said, very softly, “Nicky, do you feel it, yet? I keep forgetting to ask, and now I have no excuse.”

Nicky opened her mouth, looking up into his eyes, until their eyes actually met, and she didn't have to ask what he meant; now she knew.

And she blushed. “Yes,” she agreed. “I have since I turned thirty.”

Asriel nodded. “So, way later than normal, but...” He closed his eyes. “You're one, too.”

“Mm,” Nicky agreed, glad he was using discretion when talking about it.

The last thing the world needed to know was that.

“Tell Bass,” he advised. “It'll help her to relax.”

She nodded, squeezing his hand, and together, they walked into the Chambers – and into a sea of loud noises.

* * *

Her spouses spent the morning in bed, waiting for her to be on either their phones, TV, or laptops. Olceal left the comfortable nest only to either fetch food and drink or use the washroom, and Basket only did the latter, too tired and lazy to do anything else.

Plus, the medication they'd put her on – some sort of weird smelly plant stuff that gave her oregano-tasting burps but made everything seem pleasantly hazy and pain-free – made her feel stupid. And horny. Or both. It reminded her of Alphys's edibles, and when she looked at the label, she realised it was exactly the same thing, only much stronger. 

Olceal was the target of the second symptom, and after the night before, he opted for focusing on her rather than himself - mostly. In fact, they'd been kissing when the programme they'd been watching cut out, and showed a warning that all scheduled programmes were suspended due to “an important broadcast”.

“Mm!” Basket cried, pushing Olceal off of her at once. “Get off me, there she is!”

Olceal did, equally focused, now, and together, embracing each other, they watched their wife speak.


	8. Chapter 8

“Good afternoon,” Nicky greeted cheerfully, forcing a smile against the bright, hot lights of the media. She hated press conferences, but always made it look the opposite; Frisk taught her that.

“By now, I’m certain all of you have heard rumours of what happened a few days ago,” she admitted.

Though inwardly, she wondered, _Was it really only a few days ago...?_

_So much has changed... So much!_

_And I can't even say a word about it, yet..._

Outwardly, she forced her smile to widen, and she continued. She briefly explained exactly what happened, then continued. “My wife is recovering and well, and because of her and my husband's quick thinking, I’m well and untouched.”

Her smile twitched, especially when she noticed a few humans rolling their eyes. Humans still thought triads were weird.

“We were unable to catch the shooter,” she continued. Beside her, Asriel twitched, but mercifully held his tongue. “However, we _do_ have the gun – _and_ the bullets. It won't take long for us to find you, so...”

She smiled brightly. “Do surrender, please.”

There was assortment of chuckles at that, and she relaxed a little.

“I'd like to think that we, as a people, have grown up beyond playing with guns,” she added, raising her eyebrows. “But I can understand the occasional... misstep. Perhaps. But I don't think my spouses will.”

She then paused, swallowing hard. She felt sweaty and tired already, but she went of script and said it, anyways.

“I'm not going _anywhere_ ,” she said calmly, her smile gone. “I'm staying where I am. _I'm_ the Ambassador, now, and have been for over a year. I will _not_ relinquish this responsibility so easily.”

Asriel nudged her lightly, and she sighed and went back to the script.

“In any case,” she concluded, smiling again, “I'm sure this was a one-off situation, but in case others are wondering if they'd have better aim, I have to warn you: _you never will.”_

Now came the worst part. “I now will take questions,” she said.

Immediately, the floor exploded with questions, and she nodded and started to answer them as best as she could.

* * *

Basket was brushing away tears of mirth. “I can't believe she added that,” she admitted, her head on a pillow held over Olceal's lap.

“I can; she's _Nicks_ ,” he replied with a shrug.

Basket and Olceal watched their wife for a moment, listening as Nicky listened to someone ask her how she'd survived.

Then, Basket asked, “Why did you do it?”

Olceal sighed, closing his eyes. “Why did you?”

“I asked you first, stoat.”

She had him, there. “Because... because...” He swallowed hard, shivering. “I was scared. I wanted... I wanted to _see_ , to _feel_ , both of you – your _entire_ selves – and reassure myself that you're both safe...”

Basket nodded, surprising him. “Exactly. Me, too.”

Olceal reached down and stroked her hair, and she curled up more around him, closing her eyes.

"Do we tell her? What we saw?" Basket wondered.

"I dunno..." he admitted. "She clearly didn't want us to know..."

"But we do! We can't just--!"

“Did I, _what_?” Nicky was asking.

The question was repeated, and she scowled.

“No, I did _not_!” she snapped, losing her composure. She very rarely did, and truly, the question earned it. “Why would I _ever_ stage such a thing and put my life and the lives of my spouses in jeopardy?!”

She glared. “You're not allowed to ask _anything_ , anymore.”

The reporter spluttered, but she'd already moved to another.

Basket and Olceal shared a laugh, delighted by Nicky's haughtiness. It was rarely seen, but when it showed up, it was a delight.

Then, Basket's smile vanished, and she stared at her hands, playing with the rings on both of them.

“Olly,” she whispered, “aren't...? Aren't we...?”

Olceal sighed; she didn't need to finish. “I always thought so,” he admitted. “Especially whenever we had to babysit Dandy. But...”

Basket adjusted the wedding rings she wore nervously.

“But I also remember really like being able to spend time with Dandy, even when she was gross or annoying,” he admitted, sounding as if he was just realising this, now – the truth. “The fun stuff was so _worth_ it.”

Basket took the ring she wore now on her right hand, on the middle finger; her fingers had thickened with age, and now it was too tight for her index finger. She read the slightly-faded inscription on the inside of it.

_“To my best, Basket. Love, your Olceal.”_

She smiled. “Yeah,” she murmured, replacing the ring and looking up at him, and he met her gaze. “I agree. Maybe it was a good thing Mum had Dandy late.”

Olceal snorted. “Yes, Bass, _that's_ why your mothers had Dandelion: to give _us_ baby-practise.”

She bit his knee, and he laughed, grabbing hold of her and pulling her completely into his lap, shoving the pillow away. She grinned, her eyes lighting up, and she wrapped around him, staring into his eyes.

“If she's right, and we are,” Olceal whispered, reaching up and touching Basket's cheek, “you need to chill the fuck out.”

Basket blushed, ashamed. She nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I'm sorry. I... I’ve learned my lesson, Olly.”

For that, he kissed her, just as Nickname was closing the conference.

* * *

The moment she and her father were alone, Nicky hunched over and caught her breath, her hands on her knees and her eyes shut. She felt like she'd just run a marathon, and it was lousy.

Asriel understood. The first time he and Frisk had used a press conference to convey change, Frisk was almost murdered – and so was Nicky. He'd been nervous, horribly nervous, so now, he leaned down and pulled his daughter back up and into his arms, kissing her forehead.

She clung to him, sniffling. She was ironically speechless, now, and she desperately needed the comfort. She felt overwhelmed and conflicted, and it felt like the two emotions had waited until she was finished her speech to attack her – when it was the speech that summoned them to begin with.

“It's okay,” Asriel murmured, and she nodded weakly. “I totally get it, Nicky.” She repeated the gesture, and he held her close until she calmed down.

“Papi,” she whispered when she could. “I love you. Thank you for your help today.”

“Anytime,” he replied.

She hesitated, then blurted it out, “Papi, I’m going to...” before she cut herself off, mortified. “…uh... use the washroom.”

She pulled away quickly, then dashed off, making sure she kept her face averted from him. She dove into the restroom and shut the door, locking it – before turning around and sliding down to the floor against it, curling up and burying her face into her knees, her claws digging into her shins.

“What the fuck?” Asriel finally replied, confused out of his mind. He sighed, tugging at his bangs, before deciding to let it go. Clearly, Nicky had some major news. But just as clearly, Nicky wasn't ready to share it.

He understood that far better than anyone else, perhaps more than Nicky could ever know. And he knew just how valuable time could be in moments like this.

So, he went closer to the washroom and found a place to sit and wait, thoughtful.

Nicky cried, her heart in knots. She gritted her teeth, and with everything she was and had, she reached - not out, but in - with her magic.

_Please... Are you there? Are you there...?_

But of course it was too soon. It was way too soon, and she'd known it before she looked. It would take at least a month.

She whispered her daughter's name, pulling her magic back, and shuddered, trying to calm her tears.

 _Let it be me,_ she suddenly felt herself pleading.

When she came out, her face was clean but it was obvious she'd cried. Asriel patted the seat next to his, and she sat down, then rested her head on his shoulder.

“Wanna talk about it?” Asriel offered softly.

“Not yet,” she admitted. “But I will. I promise.”

That was enough for him. He kissed her head, between her horns, and hugged her, keeping her close until it was time to go back to the Chambers.

And for the first time, Nicky was grateful for the idiotic cacophony of politics that washed over her the moment she came in.

The last thing she wanted to do was _think_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. It's THC. Basket is high. Leave her alone. :P


	9. Chapter 9

Frisk greeted both Asriel and Nicky on the way out, smiling proudly and reaching up to kiss both.

Nicky blushed, though she didn't quite know why, when Frisk pulled away and looked into her eyes. Frisk blinked, tilted her head, and to her horror, Nicky felt her face burn hotter, and she looked away.

Frisk looked up at Asriel, who shook his head and shrugged helplessly.

“You did really well, Nicky,” Frisk said, touching her daughter's burning cheek lightly. “Why are you embarrassed?”

Nicky lowered her head, her bangs hiding her eyes; she now knew why she was embarrassed, and she muttered, in Indonesian, “Mami, it happened.”

Frisk frowned, then blinked, her eyes flaring wide. She reached up and grabbed Nicky's face, yanking her close and looking into her eyes again, searching them closely. Nicky was mute with shock, hunched over with her hands held up but empty, and her blush only got worse – and spread.

“You're fucking with me,” Frisk blurted out in English, shocking Nicky and Asriel as one. Nicky lowered her eyes, looking guilty, but Asriel both grinned and gaped at his wife; he loved it when she swore.

“No,” Nicky whispered in English. “Last night. Olly...” Her voice choked up, and she covered her face with her hands, finally, unable to hold back her tears, now.

Frisk looked at Asriel quickly, and he nodded, his smile gone. Together, they flanked Nicky, walked her to her (well, Olceal's; she was borrowing it) car, and sat down with her in the backseat.

She didn't fight any of it; she was too upset, now. She felt both ashamed and excited, guilty but hopeful. She leaned against Asriel, as his shoulder was higher, but she held onto Frisk's hand with both of her own, trembling with tears.

They said nothing; they just... held her.

In that moment, Nicky felt so much rush up within her. She felt eternal love for her parents, how generous and forgiving they were with their love, and how she'd never lacked it, even as an adult. She felt small between them, little, as if she'd shrunk back to a child and was crying over a broken toy, but was promised a replacement.

She felt the sadness of loss, but the excitement of a fresh start.

She felt small, lost, confused….

She felt large, protected, cherished...

It took a while for her to calm down, her shields completely down and gone in this moment of confused fear. And the best part was that they didn't push her into hurrying up with her tears, nor did they try to press her to talk through them.

They just held her, reminded her that it was okay, and that when she was ready, so were they.

When she'd calmed a bit down, her eyes swollen and her nose running, her tears slowing down, bit by bit, Frisk murmured, “It really happened?”

Nicky looked up at her, her eyes glinting with both fear and joy, and she nodded.

“Do you know who?” Frisk asked.

Nicky shook her head, blushing again. She held up one finger, and Frisk nodded. “You'll know in a month.”

“Uh,” Asriel then broke in, his voice a little raspy. “Know what?”

Nicky looked at Frisk and nodded, and Frisk smiled – but looked a little shy. “Asriel,” she started, stammering a little. “I... I've kept something from you.”

Asriel blinked, and Nicky scowled. “W-we _both_ did,” she growled, her voice tiny but still firm. “I-I asked Mami to keep it b-between--,”

“Nickname! I _offered_!” Frisk protested.

Nicky had actually forgotten that. “Oh, sorry... b-but... I did... I kept it... I…”

“Uh,” Asriel broke in again, this time louder. “From the top?” he suggested.

Frisk sighed, and Nicky nodded and pulled away, sitting up between them and hunching over a little, her eyes fixed on the dashboard ahead of her.

“I had a second vision last year, Papi,” she admitted. Asriel jumped, but she kept her eyes averted. “It showed me... it-it...” Her voice went funny, and she couldn't speak.

When Frisk touched her hand, she nodded again. “She saw her daughter, love,” Frisk said gently, her other hand now on his cheek.

Asriel stared at Frisk, now. “ _Her_ daughter,” he echoed slowly. “ _Nicky's_ daughter. _Our daughter's daughter?!”_ His voice broke, and he started crying, unable to hold back. “This... is this a...?"

Nicky sat up quickly, just as Frisk was leaning over her. “No, Papi!” Nicky cried, grabbing one of his hands. “No, this _isn't_ a joke. I promise you.”

Asriel stared at Nicky once more, still breathing shakily between sniffles.

“No,” he answered.

But when he said it, his face suddenly lit up.

And Frisk stared at him with delight, because it was the exact same expression he'd worn when he'd told Frisk that she was pregnant.

“Holy fuck,” he then gasped out, leaning over and holding his head in his hands. “Holy fucking golly _shit_.”

Nicky snorted out a surprised laugh, and Frisk grinned wider.

“Oh god,” he then whispered, his eyes closing and his smile vanishing, his tears running down his cheeks. “Oh fuck. I wish... I wish they'd...”

Both Frisk and Nicky knew what he meant, and had shifted positions, so that Asriel was now in the middle, and was now the one hugged.

Asriel burst into sobs, hiding his face into his hands. Nicky looked over at Frisk in panic, but Frisk smiled at her, her own eyes full of tears, now.

They were both overjoyed.

Nicky bit her lip, then lowered her head to her father's shoulder, and joined him. Asriel reached up and cupped a hand around her cheek, so gently and with so much care that it only made it worse, but she smiled, anyway.

Relief was underestimating how she felt _immensely_.

* * *

Asriel promised to keep it secret until Nicky told Basket and Olceal – or until either Nicky or Basket announced they were pregnant – and Nicky was grateful. She knew she wouldn't be able to tell them, yet, about her vision, so she was glad he added the second part, himself.

He knew her so well, and she was grateful for that, too.

When she got home, she was greeted by Olceal, who hugged her tight and whispered, “You were _amazing_ ,” before she could even greet him. She grabbed onto him and hugged back tight, thanking him, and for a moment, they held the embrace, both comforted by the other.

When Nicky pulled away, she asked, “Is Bassy okay?”

Olceal nodded. “Yeah, just dozing. I'm making supper. It should be ready in an hour; can you wait that long?”

“For _your_ cooking, I’d wait _forever_ ,” she replied, kissing him briefly, and he blushed and smiled shyly, but nodded. “Mind if I nap, too?”

“Not at all,” he agreed. “I’ll wake you both up when it's ready.”

“Thank you, Olly,” she said softly, touching his cheek.

He smiled. “My pleasure.”

When she got to the bedroom, Basket was indeed asleep – and heavily. She was buried under all of the blankets, and when Nicky managed to dig her way beneath them, she found her wife naked. With a smile and a shrug, Nicky stripped down to her underwear, curled up behind Basket, and buried them both.

As soon as Nicky had settled, Basket suddenly shifted in her sleep, moving back close against her, before relaxing again. Nicky bit her lip, smiling, and she closed her eyes.

Within minutes, she'd followed Basket into slumber.

* * *

Asriel sat on the couch, his eyes wide and constantly full, his chin in his hands and his elbows on his knees.

A granddaughter.

An actual granddaughter.

The idea was so alien to him, despite knowing it was the truth. Even now, at his age, after experiencing everything that he had, it was _this_ that had surprised him into a kind of disbelieving acceptance.

Frisk sat down next to him, and when she touched his arm, he jumped, turning to her. She smiled.

Asriel swallowed hard, reaching for her and taking hold of her face, holding it gently. Her smile softened, and she touched his forearms, her eyes closing for a moment.

Even now, his touch made her feel _wonderful_.

“Frisk,” he whispered. “Is this... real...?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“It's... it won't reset?”

“No.”

“Do you promise me?”

Frisk's eyes opened and met his, her face as serious as his. “I promise you,” she replied easily.

“I… I never want any other life, Frisk,” he said. “You... you were right. _This_ life... This _is_ the best one...”

Frisk smiled, pressing her forehead to his, just as he was leaning down to do the same.

“You're real,” he whispered. She nodded. “Frisk, I love you _so much_.”

She beamed at him, making his heart leap, and he pulled her close and kissed her, tugging her into his lap. She slid into it quite happily, returning the kiss – and deepening it.

And inside, Asriel's heart was brimming with joy.


	10. Chapter 10

Nicky awoke to the feel of gentle fingers sliding through her hair, and she smiled, keeping her eyes closed and shifting closer. Basket did, too, and Nicky reached out and hugged her close.

Basket's hands didn't still. “You were wonderful, cuppie-cake,” she whispered, her eyes open and searching Nicky's face.

Nicky's eyes opened slowly, and when they met Basket's, they blinked – then brightened, making Basket so happy.

“Thank you,” Nicky whispered back shyly, her hands rubbing Basket's back slowly.

“I'm sorry I couldn't be there,” Basket admitted.

“I'm not,” Nicky replied, her mind focusing on one thing, alone. “Basket, I should have told you ages ago, but... but...”

Basket blinked slowly, confused. “But?” she echoed.

“I'm a Boss Monster,” Nicky blurted out.

Basket blinked again. “Doi,” she answered. “I knew that.”

Before Nicky could ask, Basket made a face. “Okay, well, _now_ I know that,” she corrected. “I figured that out last night. Olly did, too. It was really obvious, Nicks. We saw... a lot." 

Basket hesitated, about to add to that, but was cut off.

Nicky nodded, suddenly desperate. “Okay, then, if you know, now, then you know that I can survive a great deal more than anyone else can, even someone like Alphys or Undyne, right?”

Basket shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe. I mean, I inherited two types of DT and I still overzapped myself...”

“It's not the same thing,” Nicky explained. “Similar, yes, but not the same thing. I... I can survive a great deal more than you can, Bassy.”

“Yeah, that _is_ nice,” Basket agreed. “But c'mon. Really? You _really_ think I’m gonna let some twerp shoot you? Fuck off.”

Nicky sighed. “Bassy...” she tried again, but Basket shook her head, her eyes blazing. “I won't fuck off,” she growled.

“Just drop it,” Basket pleaded, looking away, suddenly. “We'll never agree.”

Nicky almost lost her temper, then. She felt so panicked and so desperate that she snapped out, “What if one of us is pregnant, Basket?!” before she could stop herself.

Basket sighed, going limp, and Nicky pulled away. Basket rolled onto her back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, and Nicky waited.

“Then...” Basket whispered after a moment, her eyes closed. “Then... I'll... I’ll do what you say. I'll trust your judgement.”

“Why can't you just do that, _anyway_?” Nicky demanded, furious.

“Because it doesn't _matter_ ,” Basket snapped, before she clearly cut herself off and turned away, wrapping herself in a blanket.

But Nicky knew her wife, and she sat up, her hand grabbing hold of Basket's blanket-clad shoulder. “It doesn't matter, _what_ , Basket?!” she snapped. “It doesn't matter, _what?!”_

“If I die!” Basket finally snarled, burying her face deeper into the blankets. “You already knew that, so why did you ask?!”

“Because I want you to take it back,” Nicky answered, her fingers digging into Basket's shoulder. “Take it back, Basket.”

Basket was silent, and Nicky could feel her trembling. “Take it back!” she pleaded, only her voice was not angry, but back to desperate. “ _Take it fucking back!!”_

Basket jumped, then lowered the blanket, turning her head to look at Nicky with shock. Nicky glared at her, tears running down her cheeks, tears she didn't even feel.

“If you're going to be a mother, if we're going to actually have a child, you need to be alive!!” Nicky cried, shaking Basket's shoulder a little. “You _can't_ die! _You can't fucking die, Basket, please!”_

By the time she'd started sobbing, Basket was sitting up and holding her close, her hands back in her hair and her embrace warm and tender. Nicky clung to her, burying her face into her neck, and her claws dug into Basket's bare back hard, but she didn't flinch.

“Nickname,” Basket murmured, her eyes closed and her cheek resting on the top of her head.

“Please,” Nicky broke in quickly _. “Please!”_

“You're right,” Basket finished, kissing the top of her head. “You're right. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I... I’m just... I’m so _confused_ , Nicky...” She sniffled. “I'm _so_ confused...”

“There's no reason for you to be,” Nicky answered. “I need you _alive_ , Bassy. Please... Promise me you won't let yourself die for me. Promise me you'll try to save yourself, too.”

Basket gritted her teeth for a moment, her eyes closing tight.

Then, after a moment that had Nicky tensing up, she finally croaked out, “I... I promise, Nicky...”

She meant it. Nicky could tell, and Basket was hoping she could. And she did.

That was made clear when Nicky suddenly pinned her down onto their bed and kissed her.

Basket reached up and returned it, and Nicky reached back and unhooked her bra, grabbing one of Basket's hands and leading it up to her breast.

When Basket's fingers gently grazed over it, Nicky kissed her deeper, and there was no longer anyone else in the world but them.

* * *

They were still awake when Olceal came in, and he blinked at their dishevelled state, before smiling and leaving for a moment, only to return with a tray of food for all three of them.

Basket handed it to Nicky, then grabbed Olceal and stripped him to his boxers, making him blush and laugh again. She tugged him into bed, her eyes on his and sombre, and he nodded and grew serious.

Now was the time.

Together, they turned to Nicky, who was already eating, her face pink and her eyes closed; she adored Olceal's cooking, so it took her a while to notice her audience.

When she did, she lowered her fork and blinked, nervous. Her spouses looked... very serious.

Before she could ask, Basket reached over and grabbed one of her hands, looking down at it and holding it between her own. Her fingers traced the wedding rings Nicky wore, before she closed her eyes.

“Nickname,” Basket sighed. “I'm sorry...”

Nicky stared at her, the blood leaving her face at once. She gripped onto one of Basket's hands, panic sweeping through her so hard that she was speechless. She looked up at Olceal for help – only to see that he wore the same expression.

And her eyes filled with terrified tears.

She had no idea what was wrong, and she was already so fragile...

Olceal nudged Basket, who looked up at her wife – and paled, dropping her hand and hugging her, instead.

Nicky clung to her, trembling, her eyes wide but blind with fear. "Don't,” she heard herself plea, her fingers digging into Basket's back. “Please. Don't... don't leave me...”

Basket stiffened with shock.

Olceal inhaled sharply, before he shoved the tray aside and moved to hug Nicky's other side, just as hard.

“ _Never_ ,” Basket growled. “What the _fuck_ , Nicky?”

“Then... th-then why...?”

Olceal blushed. “We know, Nicky.”

Nickname went rigid, this time. “Know...?”

Basket nodded shyly. “Yeah. When... when we... _thing_...” She waved her hand in the air a few times. “Remember when I told you I knew you were a Boss Monster, thanks to that?” Nicky nodded. “Well, that was because your soul was open to us, just like ours were to you.”

Nicky blinked slowly, her tears slowing. She pulled away to look up at Basket, and her wife merely smiled, reaching up to brush her tears away.

“We saw you had a vision, Nicky,” Olceal whispered. “The... the _second_ one.”

Nicky's eyes widened, and she looked at him. When he nodded, she looked back at Basket – then tried to run.

She didn't know why. She didn't think. She just pulled herself away and moved to get out of the bed.

She didn't get far; both Basket and Olceal grabbed one of her hands and dragged her back, and she laid down on her back, her hands going over her face in shame.

“I’m sorry!” she cried. “I… I didn't to tell you, because... because I wanted you both to want it without coercion!”

She felt them both lie down and hug her, but she kept hiding. “I wanted it to be your – _our_ – choice, and not because my stupid vision said so!”

“We know that, too, muffins,” Basket agreed. “And we were gonna respect that. Really. But...” Basket sighed. “But we couldn't hold it in, not when we realised that a great deal of the weight you carried was from that vision.”

“And... it sucks, Nicky,” Olceal agreed, hugging her tighter. “It sucks that you carried this alone for a year. But... at the same time...”

“…thank you,” Basket finished, then Olceal clearly could not, having teared up. “You... you were right to.”

Nicky shut her eyes and lowered her hands, then her head, her hair covering her face and sticking to her cheeks, but she ignored it.

“So...?” she whispered when she could. “So, you saw her...?”

Silence met those words, a silence so loud that she had to look up to see why.

Both Basket and Olceal were staring at her with dazed shock. When Basket shook her head slowly, Nicky covered her mouth and rolled over, hiding her face into her pillow and hoping she'd pass out.

“Her...?” Olceal whispered weakly.

“N-n-no, Nicky,” Basket croaked out, her voice strained. “We... w-we just c-could see you had th-the vision, and th-that it was about our kid.”

“You never saw her?!” Nicky groaned out, her voice muffled.

“I don't think we can,” Olceal admitted, his voice still weak. “Because it's your own magic, so it won't work for us.”

Nicky groaned wordlessly, humiliated, now. She hadn't meant to ruin what could've been a great surprise.

But again, her spouses proved to her why she loved them so much. She felt them curl around her, again; Olceal started stroking her hair away from her face, and Basket took hold of her arm and caressed her fingertips over it.

Without control, Nicky felt herself relax, and with it, start to calm down.

Then, she turned her head away from the pillow, and told them their daughter's name.

Only to be tackled and squished between the two people she loved with her entire soul – and they were laughing, crying in between, but laughing.

 _“Fuck!”_ Basket cried, burying her face into Nicky's shoulder. “Oh, fuck, a month is too long, Nicks, it's too long!”

“I wanna go shopping,” Olceal whispered, his eyes wide. “I wanna buy _small things.”_

Nicky started crying at that, a hard, full-bodied sob-fest that completely took over.

And to her utmost joy, she didn't even have to explain why; her spouses merely snuggled closer and whispered soothing nonsense to her.

Finally, Nicky's heart was free of its burdens, and she could truly start to relax: within the arms of the two people she loved more than she ever thought she could love _anyone_.

Finally, she could look forward.

_At last._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised no one mentioned this before I did. But yeah: they knew. They knew the moment their souls touched, and they still continued, damn well knowing there would be a kid. 
> 
> I probably should write that chapter...


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say, writing these characters has brought me such fucking joy and sanity over the past few weeks? I really appreciate everyone's support and encouragement through this. It's priceless to me, and I'm forever grateful.
> 
> Thank you.

Surprisingly, mere days after the conference, the shooter surrendered to the authorities.

Nicky, when she was told, snorted out a laugh, before she cleared her throat and blushed; she was in a meeting with several members of Ebott's Council when the news broke, and she couldn't hold that laugh in – and she tried, too.

“Sorry,” she added. “I... I think I misheard that.”

She hadn't; the man had not only surrendered, but immediately pleaded guilty, which meant no trial, save a formal sentencing.

Nicky, to her added shock, started to laugh so hard she was close to hysterics, and she had to leave the room and retreat to the washroom until she calmed down.

She started crying, instead, overwhelmed by the fact that such a thing had happened. Frisk never had that luxury; all of her attackers either fled or paid for their innocence. Even the ones who'd shot other family members had never surrendered; they'd had to be hunted down.

She cried, because she realised, in this short year, she really _had_ made a difference. It swept her off of her feet.

And she cried with such ease for another reason – one she found out _much_ later - almost three weeks later, to be exact.

* * *

“Oh...”

Nicky's ears twitched; the word was uttered in a small, disappointed voice, and when she stirred awake, Basket had already slipped from bed and vanished into the bathroom, her steps slow and dragging.

By the time the door was shut behind her, both Olceal and Nicky were awake and confused – especially since it was still dark out. Nicky looked at Olceal, who nodded and got up, following Basket to the bathroom. He knocked on the door, and they heard a long sigh, before the door opened.

Before he could ask, Basket said, her voice flat, “I'm bleeding.”

Nicky's entire world went white, and she fell back into bed, blind and deaf and utterly speechless.

“Where?” Olceal asked, confused at first. Basket scrunched her face up, and he blinked. “Oh,” he murmured, his face falling. 

“I guess, not this time?” Basket replied, slumping over and shuffling back to bed.

Nicky was hiding under the blankets, trembling. She did quick math, barely aware she even could in her state, before she cried out and buried herself deeper into her nest.

Basket and Olceal stood on opposite sides of their bed, staring at their wife-burrito in confusion.

Then, they felt her use her magic, the only kind she could control (all monsters could use their magic to look at their own souls, and the souls of others), and they both suddenly sat down on the bed, their eyes glued to each other.

When it faded, Nicky cried out again, then burst into tears.

Basket was under the blankets before Olceal, hurriedly slipping beneath and pulling Nicky to her. Nicky didn't move, save to reach out and grab Basket's hand.

“N-Nick-Nicky?” Basket squeaked out.

Nicky sobbed again, before rolling onto her side, her face still hidden, and pulling Basket's hand to her – and pulling her shirt up, pressing Basket's hand flat against Nicky's lower abdomen. Basket held her breath, not moving, but Nicky squeezed her hand.

Basket reached out carefully with her own magic – and touched it. She covered her mouth with her other hand, her eyes wide and full, and her breaths became shaky and uneven.

Olceal was frozen with fear, now. He sat there, unmoving and unable to breathe very well, himself, terrified of what this meant and immediately assuming the worst.

Then, Nicky sobbed out, “It's _me_!”

That thawed Olceal out immediately, and he quickly burrowed under the blankets and pressed close to Nicky from behind, covering Basket's hand with his own and reaching out, too.

“Fuck,” he gasped out, the second he felt it.

“I _know_!” Nicky agreed, her voice breaking.

“It's her?” Basket squeaked out.

“It's her,” Olceal agreed.

“It's _her_!” Nicky cried.

With that, Nicky was squished between them, a rain of kisses and a hail of hugs showering over her and thawing her out. She clung to them tight, sobbing so hard, now, that she couldn't speak.

But she was grinning with joy.

 _This_ was why she saw herself with their child in her lap: not because she was going to be alone, but because she was the _dam_. She was almost a month pregnant.

“Five more months is too long!” she wailed, the sound ending with a choked laugh.

That was putting it mildly.

* * *

Unfortunately, when told the news, Frisk fainted.

Fortunately, Asriel was beside her and caught her before she could fall, and Nicky almost panicked, going over to help try to wake her up. Asriel gently pulled away and scooped Frisk up into his arms, before sitting down on the closest chair with her in his lap.

“Give her time,” he advised softly, stroking Frisk's hair slowly.

“I’m sorry!” Nicky whispered, suddenly wishing that either Basket or Olceal were with her; Olceal was at work, while Basket was out shopping for “small things”, as she was still on medical leave and bored out of her mind (and also incredibly excited).

Nicky had thought it would be best to tell her parents alone, but now she wondered.

Especially when Asriel's eyes filled with tears, and he closed them, lowering his head to Frisk's and hiding his face in her shoulder, still stroking her hair. He started crying, not softly, but not loudly, either; rather, it was a quiet mix, one that clearly came from his soul.

Frisk stirred from this, floating back up from a confused darkness that left her shaky and nauseated. She slowly checked over her mental list of self-care, and found that she was fine, save a little bewildered.

She reached up shakily and touched Asriel's cheek, and he sniffled, gathering her closer. She curled up and clung to him, for a moment forgetting why she'd fainted.

Then, she felt Nicky touch her hand, and her eyes snapped open. She jerked away from Asriel and struggled to sit up, so fast that one of Asriel's horns poked her cheek and scraped it a little (but without breaking skin, luckily).

Her eyes went to her daughter's, and Nicky nodded, worried that if she repeated it, Frisk would pass out, again.

Frisk, however, started crying, too, lying back and covering her face with her hands. Asriel hugged her again, and for a moment, Nicky just sat there, scared and worried.

Then, Frisk reached out this time, her hand shaking, and Nicky grabbed it between her own. Frisk, however, pushed against them, reaching out, still, and Nicky let go, confused.

Frisk opened one eye, her vision blurry with dizziness and tears, and moved her hand to Nicky's stomach. It was still way too soon for her to feel anything, especially since Nicky was plump and had a soft, generous belly, but Frisk's face lit up all the same, simply from the _idea_ of it.

Nicky broke down, then, the happiness on her mother's face so vibrant and naked; seeing that, the relief she felt was potent. She couldn't see Asriel's face, as he'd hidden it back in Frisk's shoulder, so to see her mother’s joy was a great relief.

Especially with how she'd _initially_ taken the news.

Suddenly, Nicky found herself in her father’s arms, held onto so tightly that she squeaked with surprise. She then felt Frisk hug her, too, and whisper to her that it was okay.

And again, Nicky's eyes closed, and she let her parents comfort her and congratulate her, allowing their selfless love to enfold her and warm her up, again. She cried, the same way they did, and didn't stop for a very long time.

Through it all, they never let her go.

She would never, ever forget this moment, for as long as she lived.

Not because something bad happened, but because it was the first time, she realised years later, that she'd been completely surrounded by love, of all kinds, from all sides.

It was the first time she'd ever felt _complete_.


	12. Chapter 12

When she told Undyne and Alphys, it was with Basket and Olceal, this time. While she was never afraid of Undyne like everyone else could be, she was still nervous about it.

“Out with it,” Undyne growled, after a mere five minutes of small talk over tea and cookies.

Basket scowled, but Olceal wisely focused on his tea, while holding one of Nicky's hands. Before Basket could get snarky, Nicky blurted out, “I'm pregnant, _I’m sorry!”_

Undyne stared at her, dropping her spoon. Alphys, however, was a blur, before she was suddenly hugging onto Nicky and crying into her shoulder.

That made Basket giggle and pat Alphys's back a couple of times, and when Alphys raised her head, Olceal handed her a napkin. She took it, holding it to her nose, before she looked up at Nicky and simply _beamed_ at her, still crying rather much.

It was all she _could_ do, honestly; the prospect of it all, of having a granddaughter, was so bizarre and so wonderful that she couldn't even speak. She hugged Nicky again, before hugging Olceal, then Basket.

When she went back to Undyne, she felt herself grabbed hold of and held in Undyne's arms, her grip so hard that Alphys wheezed out, “ _Mercy!”_

Undyne loosened her hold, but barely. She was pale, staring at Nicky and trembling all over. Silently, she started to cry, but she wasn't smiling.

“Whose?” she whispered. “Olceal and Nicky, right...?”

“Mom,” Basket grumbled. “I'm one of the parents, too.”

Alphys blushed, her eyes wide, and she quickly sat up and cupped Undyne's ear, whispering to her. Undyne went scarlet, and she looked away in embarrassment.

“Mom!” Basket cried. “You taught _physical education!”_

“Shut the fuck up, Basket, I _know_ that, my brain stopped working because you're fucking having a _child_ , you spoilt, mouthy little punk-ass _brat!!”_

By the time she'd finished the sentence, she'd set Alphys onto the couch, got to her feet, and stormed over to Basket. On the final word, she'd seized her daughter and pulled her off of her feet – and into her arms.

 _“Fuck!”_ Undyne wailed, before she burst into laughter – and tears. She clung to Basket, rocking her as if she were a baby.

Basket almost told her off for it, until she actually looked at her mother's face: she was crying for _real_.

Undyne couldn't help it. Her baby fishlizard would never be her baby, again, because now she had one of her own. She was heartbroken and elated at the same time, and she was rocking Basket for her _own_ comfort.

Nicky hadn't said a word through all of this, too shocked and confused to be able to. She felt Olceal's arm go around her waist, and he whispered, “Let them explode.”

She smiled at him gratefully, and in return, his other hand went to her belly, and she laughed. It was still way too soon to feel anything, and the fact that Olceal tried, anyway, made Nicky so happy.

“Dammit,” Alphys whispered. “Why did Dandy have to have choir practise, today...?”

“You're the fucking Headmistress, you fucking tell me!” Undyne answered. She sounded furious, but Alphys smiled, understanding how she really felt.

“I'll call her,” Alphys replied, grabbing her phone and going to the kitchen to do so.

“Mom,” Basket wheezed out. “ _Mercy_.”

 _“Fuck you!”_ Undyne answered, not letting go. “Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were trying?!”

_“Because I can't fucking breathe.”_

Undyne growled, but finally let her go, and Basket stumbled and landed in Olceal's lap, dizzy. He lit up and gathered her close, and Nicky laughed again; it was so cute.

Undyne's attention was now on her, and she sat down in Basket's place, grabbing hold of Nicky's hands tightly. Her expression was one of fury, but she was crying, and her face was bright red.

By now, Nicky knew her mother-in-law very well, and was able to – _eventually_ – remember that this was just how Undyne emoted.

But when she spoke, her voice was _tiny_ , and... shy? She squeezed Nicky's hands, then let one go, holding it up between them. It shook.

“Can I…?” Undyne whispered, her eye darting between Nicky's. “Can I… touch?”

Nicky relaxed and grinned, nodding and settling back a little, before lifting up her shirt and placing Undyne's hand upon her abdomen. Undyne closed her eye, and Nicky felt a tickle she knew was Undyne's magic float beneath her skin.

After a moment, Undyne started laughing softly, her other hand over her eyes. “Fuck,” she whispered. “It's true...”

“Why would we _lie_ about that?!” Basket demanded.

Alphys giggled as she walked back in, sitting down next to Undyne. “Don't worry about her,” she advised – making Undyne smirk a little. “Tell me, d-do...? Do you h-have a name?”

Nicky grinned and told her.

Undyne sat up, her eye wide and her mouth open with shock. “Holy _fuck_ , that's _perfect_!”

“Nicky thought it up,” Olceal said happily.

“ _You_? With the parents you have?!” Undyne snorted, and Nicky stuck her tongue out and laughed.

“Did you tell Tally, yet?” Alphys wondered at that.

Olceal shook his head. “Not yet. We're going to tell her tomorrow morning, when she gets home. She's got nights again this week.”

“She'll probably be pissed off that it isn't Bassy's,” Undyne said.

“Mom, I swear to god, stop saying she isn't mine, too,” Basket snapped. “She _is_.”

“She is,” Nicky agreed. “She has Bassy's skin colour.”

Silence met her words at that, and when she looked up, she jumped; everyone was staring at her.

“I saw her, remember?" Nicky murmured. “I had a vision about her, last year."

And at that, she'd opened up a floodgate of questions, and the rest of the time spent waiting for Dandelion to come home was spent demanding answers.

* * *

 When Dandelion walked in, everyone went silent, and she froze, her eyes narrowing and her expression souring. She dropped her bag, kicked her shoes off, and stomped into the living room.

“If you're gonna talk about me, let me actually _hear_ you, you _jerks_!” she snarled.

Basket sighed, getting up and walking over to her. She leaned down (but not by much; Dandelion had inherited Undyne's height) and said, very calmly, “Nicky's pregnant, you silly fluff.”

Dandelion's eyes flared open, and she stared at her sister in shock. She turned to Nicky, then back to Basket, before looking at Olceal – and focusing on him.

He was expecting it, honestly. He smiled as soon as she stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest and her teeth bared.

“Is this a joke, Olceal?” she demanded. “Are the three of you _really_ gonna have a baby?”

“See, Mom, even _Dandy_ gets it,” Basket growled. _“Stop dam-shaming me!”_

Undyne got up and grabbed Basket, wrestling her into a headlock and messing up her almost-normal hair, making her shriek in protest.

“Yes,” Olceal replied when he could, smiling.

Dandelion's face lit up, and she clapped, bouncing up and down a little in place. “ _Really_?! Tell me _everything_!!”

They did, and the entire evening flew by in a haze of fun.

* * *

Tally's reaction was the most surprising, however.

They'd expected her to be miffed that it was Nicky, and not Basket, who was pregnant, as Tally was still trying to adjust to the fact that her only child had _two_ wives.

All three were on their guard, expecting the worst.

But the got the best, instead.

The moment the news sank in, Tally went over to Nicky and hugged her tight, then reached up and held her face between her hands.

Nicky stared at her, speechless, and Tally smiled. 

"Thank you," Tally whispered, kissing Nicky's cheek, before hugging her, again. 

When she pulled away, she grinned and declared, "We're going out for lunch. I can nap later. Shoes on, Olcy."

It was, all told, perfect.


	13. Chapter 13

Nickname _loved_ being pregnant.

She knew she would; it was why she'd hoped so hard to be. But she had no idea how easy it would be.

“I hate you,” Frisk grumbled, as Nicky drove them home after having lunch together.

Nicky laughed. “Because I can still eat?”

“Yes. I  _hate_  you.  _You_  didn't let  _me_  properly eat until your third month. Before then, I lived off of pity gift baskets. Thanks for that.”

Nicky laughed so hard that she had to pull the car over.

She was two months along, and hadn't had any morning sickness or breast pains. Since she was now so far along, they both knew she'd never have the former. The latter, however, was inevitable, but Nicky didn't mind.

Frisk was laughing, too, and Nicky rested her forehead on the steering wheel and just _howled_ with it, so hard that she cried, but in the best way.

Given her daughter's name, this graceful pregnancy was also wonderfully ironic.

When she could, Nicky brushed the tears from her eyes and cheeks, coughing a little to catch her breath. Frisk handed her some tissue, and she used it happily, her other hand now rubbing her belly. Her tail wagged when she did; it always did, because every time she touched there, she felt that it was getting bigger and firmer.

“I'm sorry, Mami,” Nicky then said, her voice soft. She looked over at her mother, always amazed by how small she was when compared to herself. While she was plump like Frisk, she got her height from Asriel, and Frisk was _tiny_ in comparison.

Frisk smiled, touching her hand, and Nicky bit her lip, the gesture so loving that she almost started crying, again - but without the laughter. She'd done a lot of crying with this pregnancy, too – yet another irony.

“Nickname,” Frisk murmured, her eyes wavering. “I would've done it five times a year for a decade, if it meant that you were in my life.”

Immediately, Nicky started to cry. Because of course.

They ended up being late for supper, but it was worth it; they spent over an hour in the car, just talking.

About pregnancy, babies.

The future. The past.

All of it.

* * *

 There _was_ a problem, however. One that no one had expected – and one that Nicky kept between herself and her spouses, and for good reason, too.

Being pregnant made her rather... _amorous_.

The first time, Nicky was immediately confused. She had just started her third month, and was working on a speech, when the mood just... _backhanded_ her. She sat up, her whole body flushing hot, and she tilted her head, bewildered by this.

She'd felt urges, before, and certainly she'd felt aroused...

 _This_ was nothing like _that_. This was like nothing she'd ever _known_ , before. It was as if everything suddenly reminded her of sex, and she actually _craved_ it. She'd never wanted to have sex like this, before, and she wondered if she was losing her mind.

She pushed away from her desk, slowly getting to her feet, her hand absently rubbing her belly. She wondered if she just needed to walk around a little.

Only to find her hand moving below her belly, and she jerked it back, blushing so hard she felt her heartbeat in her cheeks. She held her hands to her chest – then winced and held them out, shaking them a little.

She started pacing like this, slowly and unsteadily, her hands held up and shaken out several times. But it didn't help. If anything, moving around only made it worse.

“Oh, sure, _now_ you live up to your name,” she growled.

Basket had heard her, as she was in the kitchen doing the dishes. She peered around the corner and glanced at Nicky – and went to her, stopping her quickly by taking hold of her hands.

Nicky reeled in shock, her whole body suddenly hyper-aware of Basket's. She tried to speak, but ended up saying confused gibberish, blushing all over, now.

Basket was worried, and she moved closer, one hand going to Nicky's middle, while the other still held one of her hands. “Nicks--?”

It was all she got out before Nicky suddenly lunged for her, grabbing hold of her face and pulling her close to kiss her. Basket stumbled forward and into her, and Nicky groaned, her arms going around Basket's waist.

Basket broke the kiss, her hands on Nicky's shoulders. She was bright red, looking bewildered, but happy about it.

“ _Nicky_ ,” she breathed out. “Did... did you take my pain meds?” She'd had some of the stuff left over, and sometimes they used it if either of them had pain to warrant doing so - which was very rare.

Nicky shook her head, answering with another kiss. Her hands slipped under Basket's shirt, but Basket squeaked and pulled away, again.

“What's gotten into you?” she wondered, mystified.

“ _Mm_...” Nicky answered, more a whine than anything else, before she grabbed Basket's hands and pulled on her, trying to bring her to the bedroom.

When that happened, Basket suddenly got it. “Oh my god, you're hormonal,” she concluded, stumbling as she let Nicky bring her to their bedroom. “You're _horny-monal!”_

“Not yet,” Nicky answered, her voice husky. She sat down on their bed and tugged Basket down beside her, before pulling Basket's hands under her shirt – and over her breasts. “I need your help for the - _monal_ part...”

Basket burst into laughter, delighted, but was interrupted by another kiss – one she finally returned.

Nicky gathered her close, and didn't let go.

* * *

When Olceal got home, his ears twitched – and he blushed, blinking with surprise... before he flinched a little and smiled sheepishly, scratching his cheek shyly.

He knew those sounds very well, indeed. 

Despite this, he followed them – and had barely ten seconds to register what he saw before he was dragged into it.

And he found himself – well – blown away. And hoping he never made it back.

* * *

This happened several times for the rest of Nicky's pregnancy. Of the two of them, it turned out that Basket had the most stamina, and was the only one who could fully meet Nicky's needs before passing out.

Nicky was overjoyed. She'd been scared of offending them or worrying them, but any time either of them said no, she found herself calming down, able to meet her own needs rather well, instead.

It was probably the funnest – and funniest – part of her pregnancy.

* * *

“here.”

Nicky blinked, reaching up and taking hold of the small piece of paper that sans offered to her. He'd come by to have coffee with her during her lunch, and greeted her with this.

She opened it; all it said was: “N1C 8N8”

“a postal code for you,” sans explained calmly. “because you're--,”

She glowered at him, crumpling up the paper and throwing it at him. She missed, of course, and sans started laughing so hard that he had to sit down.

“I’m calling security,” Nicky concluded.

He immediately apologised, and with a laugh of her own, she pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her bag, leading the way out.

The coffee shop was in the same building as her office, on its ground floor, so it was usually a brisk walk down a few flights of stairs to get there.

However, Nicky knew her limits, and while she hated the joke, sans was right about one thing: she was _huge_. They took the elevator, Nicky feeling great relief when they were the only two there.

Once they had their drinks – and Nicky, her lunch – they started to chat.

“so you had a vision about me?” sans asked carefully, dipping a finger into his tea and licking it (and continuing to do so for the entire lunch).

Nicky nodded, taking a huge bite of her sandwich before grabbing her wallet and pulling out a piece of paper. She handed it to him, still chewing, and he took it, trying very hard not to laugh.

It said, “ _Don't go to the mall next Thursday, unless you want to be mobbed by Temmies.”_

“dammit,” sans sighed, tucking it into his pocket. “for real?”

Nicky nodded. “Yep. Dunno how or why, but yep. Please film it.”

sans scowled at her, and she smirked; they were now even, as she now had him in a corner and knew it. She was just as aware as he was that, even with the warning, there was probably _something_ that would have him at the mall, so the "attack" was inevitable. 

“You know you can never say no to any favours I ask,” Nicky added cheerfully. “Because you're my favourite Uncle...”

He glowered at her.

“…named sans.”

“you're too much like your father,” he growled. Which of course meant he would film it.

Because it was true; he never could say no to his oldest niece, even if it was humiliating. (She'd even once begged him to be in one of Mettaton's shows, and he still had yet to hear the end of it, decades later.)

“Thank you,” she replied happily, her eyes sparking.

At that, sans laughed, and she was even happier.

When he could, sans asked her, “so how is the...?” He blinked. “what the hell do i call her? an egg? a stoat-goat?”

When his eyes suddenly lit up at that last one, Nicky rolled her eyes and growled, but it was too late (though later, she wondered what took him so long to make that joke).

“She's fine,” Nicky answered, before he could ask her, again. “Alphys says that everything is perfect.”

“good,” sans replied, dipping and licking his finger between words. “you deserve perfect, nick.”

Nickname's smile faded, and she looked at him closer, curious. “Uncle,” she said softly, “have you...? Well...” She sighed. “I know, before they...” She bit her lip. “Before they died, that you were close to my grandparents, but... Did... did you ever...?”

“move on from your mom?” he finished, his tone flat and his eyes dim.

She nodded.

“yes, and no. yes, because like you said: tori, asgore, and i were close before they died, for several years...”

Nicky blushed a little, but nodded again. She was one of perhaps five people who knew that sans had been in love with Frisk for decades.

“but no, too, because... because... because she's _frisk_ , nick. the day _that_ love dies is on the same day as _me_.”

Nicky lowered her eyes, deep sadness striking her heart. She'd asked, because she'd thought he really had moved on, already.

“Will you ever forgive Papi?” she asked him.

“wow, nick, you're really happy to spill blood today, aren't you?”

Nicky winced. “Sorry. Nevermind.”

But sans shook his head. “wait, let me answer.”

She blinked, going silent, and after a moment, sans sighed, closing his eyes.

“nick,” he said slowly, “i forgave asriel the day he made frisk laugh from her heart.”

Nicky stared at him. “Wait, but... What?”

He nodded. “yeah,” he said, his eyes still closed. He smiled a little. “the first time i ever heard frisk laugh from her heart was because of him. it was like a week after...” He lowered his head. “…after my fuck-up, and i snuck in when they were alone for the day. your dad was making frisk some soup, while they talked and she rested on the couch.”

Nicky went very still, her eyes focused only on sans, now. Never, in all of her life, had she heard her uncle speak like this, and for so long. She didn't want him to stop, so she held her breath until he went on.

“i was gonna sneak up on them, a stupid idea, really, because frisk was still afraid of me, and asriel was still furious. i think i just _hoped_ it wouldn't matter. but luckily, before i could, asriel said something, and it made me freeze up.”

“What did he say?” Nicky asked gently, when he said nothing for a moment.

sans's smile faded. “he asked her how she was feeling. she was quiet for a while, and asriel went out to check on her. when he did, he said, ‘why are you crying?'”

Nicky's heart ached, her eyes stinging, and she bit her lip to keep herself calm.

“she said, ‘because he was like my best friend.'"

sans winced. "nick, hearing that, i was gonna leave. until you dad replied, and said, ‘idiot, _i'm_ you're best friend, remember? i was _way_ before you even met him!'"

He paused, then went on. "and there was this moment... this tiny puff of time, that seemed to decide their fate. because _that's_ when she laughed, for real. and...” He lowered his head. “so did your dad.”

Nicky was crying by now, unable to hold back. She reached over and grabbed one of his hands, holding it tight, and he looked up at her, his eyes very, very dim.

“it was a sound i'd never heard before, and a sound that woke me up, completely. yeah, my damned heart broke, but it also glued itself back together – and there was no way for me to keep hating on your dad, not if he could make frisk laugh like _that_...”

“You forgave him, just like that, for making Mami laugh...?” she echoed, her voice wavering. “Oh, golly, Uncle. I... I had no idea...”

“only papyrus knew, because he's nosy, even without a nose,” sans agreed.

And suddenly, he smiled. “he said he was proud of me.”

Nicky smiled, squeezing his hand, again, and this time, he squeezed back.

“but really, nick, how _is_ the stoat-goat?”

To his surprise, when Nicky laughed – he heard her mother's laugh, too, almost identical to the one he first heard that lonely afternoon.

And with it, his heart was finally healed.


	14. Chapter 14

When Nicky went into labour, she was in the middle of a speech.

She'd insisted, to everyone's dismay, that she needed to work until her daughter was born, and refused to listen to _anyone_ – even Alphys. She didn't want time off, because not only did she feel wonderful, she knew she was needed.

So when she suddenly felt a small tugging sensation below her belly, and felt something come loose in the most personal of places, she stopped talking in mid-sentence – for about ten seconds.

When she could, she started up, again.

However, the longer she spoke, the harder it became, as she started to feel dizzy and needed to lean against the desktop in front of her. She gritted her teeth and spoke through them, her words tumbling out faster and faster, and when she realised she was finished, she sat down quickly, lowering her head and hunching over and hoping no one noticed.

But everyone did, and her words were met with complete silence, a silence so loud that she looked up through her bangs – and winced, lowering her gaze, again.

“Please stop looking at me,” she added weakly. “I'm done talking, now.”

Basket, who was seated in one of the wings of the Chambers with Olceal, suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room, her phone to her ear.

Olceal jumped up after her, before he wheeled back and, to everyone's surprise, ran up the steps and slid into the aisle where Nicky sat, moving around people deftly and with distracted apologies.

He stood in front of Nicky and said, his voice flat, “We have to go.”

“Yes, no kidding,” Crombie agreed dryly. “Hurry!”

Nicky shook her head, but Olceal nodded and held out his hands. She sighed, took them, and Olceal wrapped his arm around her waist, hooking one of hers around his. She held onto the back of his shirt, as once she was back on her feet, she definitely felt it: nausea, dizziness, and... other things she knew were bad signs.

 _“Shit,”_ she concluded, her final word on the Floor within the Chambers for the next six months.

* * *

Alphys hugged Nicky as soon as she could, then sat her down quickly. It had taken fifteen minutes to get to the hospital, and the wait was another ten. By then, Nicky was feeling wretched, especially since, when she used the washroom, she was able to conclude very easily that she was in labour.

Alphys agreed, once she had the chance to check Nicky into the maternity ward and look her over. Nicky was so tired that she actually dozed through it.

When Alphys noticed, she bit her lip and said to Basket and Olceal, “This is going to be _quick_. Are you ready?”

“Wh-what?” Basket answered. She was sitting beside Nicky on the hospital bed, holding her against herself and stroking her hair slowly, feeling it dampening with sweat. “B-but, Mummy, she-she hasn't even-- her water--,”

“Bassy, this isn't a sitcom,” Alphys answered. “It's not like that.”

This was proven as fact when Nicky suddenly woke up – and panicked, her eyes wide and wild with sudden pain. She grabbed hold of Basket and cried out, “I don't like this!” before she was washed away by her first contraction, the pain so dreadful that she started crying almost right away. She forgot how to breathe, or talk, or even think, until it was over.

The moment she was free of it, she collapsed against Basket, pleading out nonsense against her wife's already tear-soaked shoulder. She felt Basket gather her closer and rub her stomach slowly, and with those simple gestures, Nicky was able to focus, again.

She listened, her ears twitching, but she kept her face in Basket's chest, now, desperate for the familiar comfort.

“I'm timing it,” she heard Olceal say, his voice flat, still.

“Thank you,” Alphys replied. “I'll be right back with something to help her. If she has another contraction, stop the timer, and show me when I get back.”

“Wait, Mum, it's only been--!” Basket tried to protest, but Alphys was already a blur, before she vanished down the hallway completely.

“Hey,” Basket then said, her voice softer. “Nicky, can you hear me?”

Nicky nodded, burrowing deeper into her arms.

“Okay, honey,” Basket replied, kissing the top of her head. “Olly and I are right here. We're gonna make sure we get through this, okay?”

Nicky nodded again, sniffling.

“And when it's all done,” Basket murmured, her hand over Nicky's belly lingering, “we'll have our little girl.”

Nicky sobbed, wanting that so much. She wanted this done with. She wanted to blink and be done, and be home before the sun went down.

Thanks to both her spouses and her mother-in-law, she almost got everything she wished for, as not long after that, her second contraction began. And well before Alphys had come back.

The moment she did, everything became a blurred mess of confusion and pain, and it felt like _forever_.

But it was the exact opposite.

* * *

“Well,” Alphys breathed out, sitting down in the nearest chair and closing her eyes. “That... happened...” She sighed. “Try nursing, now, hon.”

Nicky heard her and laughed softly, her own eyes closed and her cheek resting lightly atop her baby daughter's soft, auburn-haired head, right between her round, fuzzy ears. She was flanked by Basket and Olceal, who looked just as winded as Alphys – but also overjoyed.

Their daughter was _exactly_ the way Nicky remembered, only tinier and younger; a chubby, light-green-skinned monster, with such a mix of inheritated traits that it overwhelmed Nicky when she even tried to count them all. She screamed the moment she could, and didn't stop until she was in Nicky's arms.

When their eyes met, Nicky's eyes filled; their daughter's eyes were the exact same red colour and shape as Nicky's. And when their eyes met, they recognised each other right away, and Nicky started to cry happily, leaning down and breathing in her scent, their eyes still locked.

It had only taken an _hour_. It had been so short that they were still waiting for family members to arrive. Frisk and Asriel, as well as Undyne and Tally, had missed the entire thing, and were waiting with everyone else, save - oddly - Papyrus and Mettaton, who arrived last.

Nicky, strangely, didn't regret that. She hadn't wanted anyone to see the kind of agony she'd been in, save Basket and Olceal, and had protested even when Alphys was there, or when she brought in more nurses to help. She knew she would've felt worse if her parents had seen her that way and became scared or worried – especially with Frisk.

“Nicky,” Alphys said. “Nursing?”

Nicky blushed; she'd been so preoccupied with simply looking at her that she'd forgotten to feed her. With help from Basket, she managed it, and immediately relaxed, wincing only a little before she curled up around her baby and closed her eyes as she drank.

“Brat,” Basket teased. “She truly _is_ a little Storm, isn't she?”

“Told you,” Nicky agreed, smiling weakly.

Olceal was staring at Storm in silence, his eyes wide and constantly spilling over. He hiccupped and sniffled a bit, but otherwise was silent. He was in shock, unable to believe that something so incredible had not only just happened, but happened to _him_.

“I love her,” he blurted out suddenly, startling his wives.

Then, he leaned over, buried his face into Nicky's shoulder, and started to sob. “I love _you_ , Nickname,” he added tearfully.

“Did you steal some epidural, love?” Nicky teased him, and he spluttered out a soft laugh.

“Storm Toriel?” Alphys then asked.

“Storm Toriel,” Nicky agreed.

“Perfect,” Alphys replied, pushing herself to her feet. “I'm going to go tell everyone how it went. Keep nursing her until she's done, then try to burp her, okay? I won't be long.”

When she was gone, Nicky blinked. “How do I know when she's done? Will she just _tell_ me?” she wondered, unable to keep a grin from her face.

“Nicks,” Basket snorted. “You suck at lying.”

“Good,” Nicky decided.

For a moment, the three were quiet, listening to their new fourth drink her first meal – and Olceal sob, still. It was a peaceful, soothing near-silence, and within it, the three new parents took in their child – and fell in love.

A love that Storm Dreemurr would always know, every single day of her life – starting now.

**\--THE END--**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks go to smol-and-unknown (on Tumblr) for inadvertently naming the scaly stoat-goat. (I bet you remember, now :D!), as well as helping me along with this story. Additional thanks to Angle-Joyce for listening to me whine while working on this and Ambassador at the same time like an idiot. 
> 
> And no, before you ask: I do not know if this is the end of Abovetale, because I've said that like ten times, now, and simply went back and wrote more. I'm not saying it this time, dammit.


End file.
